Do You See What I See? PART 2: Do Dreams Come True?
by Em Pataki
Summary: A disturbing dream, a group of familiar faces, and a chain of unfortunate events get Arnold and Helga's marriage off on the wrong foot. You'll want to read Part 1 for this to make sense. Don't worry, they both have happy endings :)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Where Is It?

Arnold had just been caught by Gerald. Gerald, Arnold's best friend whom no secrets were kept from, had just caught him kissing Helga G. Pataki. Not only Arnold's, but basically their entire (soon to be 6th grade's) class' sworn enemy.

After being unfathomably embarrassed by the interruption of what could quite possibly be her lifelong dream coming true, Helga ran away as quick as she could. At least, from the scene of the shocking event which was suddenly exposed. There wasn't far she could escape to; them still having been in the Green Eyed Village.

Miles and Stella walked over to Arnold; wide smiles on their faces. Miles set a hand on Arnold's shoulder as Arnold began to blush terribly. "Was that your girlfriend, son?"

Gerald tried to hold back his laughter as he replied "Helga? Arnold's girlfriend?! Yeah, and Rhonda wears outdated shoes!"

Rolling his eyes, Arnold began to look away, hoping to come up with an excuse. "It's uh, well. It's a long story."

With his parents still smiling at him, they replied "Speaking of long stories, it's going to be a long walk back to the village. We should probably get going."

Arnold's eyes widened as he exclaimed "Oh no! We forgot about Mr. Simmons and the rest of the class! We have to hurry and get going!"

Not having a worried look on his face, Miles replied "Don't worry son. Go find your girlfriend and we'll head on our way back."

Arnold once again blushed as Gerald thought to himself _Man have they got some catching up to do!_

As Arnold was searching the village, Helga was sitting in the dark with her locket, leaning against a tree. Running her finger against the shredded picture Brainy had put back together, thinking to herself

 _Oh my beloved, is it destiny? While I've tasted the sweet sensation of your soft lips before, they have never cried out for my attention as they did tonight! They have never…_

"Helga?" she was suddenly interrupted as she turned to see her beloved lurking behind her. "Arnold?!" she gasped, quickly shoving the locket back inside her tank top, as she stood to scowl at him. "I mean, stop creeping up on me!"

Seeing his eyes widen, she knew he must be wondering why she still felt the need to act this way. Giving him a guilty look, she added "I mean, shouldn't you be with your parents. Heck, you've got ten years of catching up to do. I don't think you did it all in the ten minutes I was over here!" she said, rubbing the back of her neck.

As he gazed at her, he replied "True, but there will be plenty of time for that later. We need to get back to the village and find our friends."

She had forgotten all about that. It was as though that one special moment she shared with him a few minutes ago made her forget where they even were.

Taking her hand in his, Arnold lead Helga back to Gerald and his parents; all of them having different thoughts about the 'couple.'

Gerald stared with a raised eyebrow and his hands on his hips as he saw his best friend walking hand in hand with his worst enemy. _I don't know what kind of jungle fever that kid caught, but he better not give it to me!_

Miles and Stella watched the smile on Arnold's face; the way he paid more attention to her than he did to where he was headed. They knew it had to be more than friendship.

While Arnold was just anxious to get home, Helga was rubbing her neck with her free hand, thinking to herself _I hope no one makes a big deal out of this!_

Once they had returned back to the spot with his parents, Arnold anxiously asked "Is everyone ready to go?!"

"If it's alright sweetie, we'd like to say goodbye to the Green Eyes before we do?" Stella asked, hopefully, as Arnold smiled "Sure! We'll come with you."

Backing away from him, Helga said "Actually Arnold, I think I'll just wait over here for you...if that's okay?"

Shrugging his shoulders at her, Arnold turned to Gerald as he heard him say "Me too. I mean no offense man, but it's not like 'we're' the chosen ones or anything."

Arnold rolled his eyes at Gerald's sad excuse as he followed his parents over to the the Green Eyes. When they were far enough away, Gerald turned to see Helga once again standing in the dark beside a tree. Only this time, she decided not to risk anyone hearing her spill out her emotions to herself.

As she stood there staring at the ground, wishing she had a can to kick, she thought to herself _What am I going to do when we get back? Even if I'm FINALLY okay with him knowing how I feel about him... I'm not ready for everyone else to know how I feel about him! I don't want to risk being mocked, ridiculed, or having my lifelong reputation destroyed! I'm not ready to…"_

Suddenly, she heard "Hey Helga." She screamed "Ahhhh!" nearly falling over as she turned to see Gerald standing beside her.

"Oh, umm..uuhhh...hey?" This was new to her. Normally it was Arnold who snuck up on her.

As she looked at him with petrified eyes, she knew what he had to be ready to ask about. She watched him standing there staring, almost smiling at her. The suspense began to kill her, as he continued to remain silent. Finally, she had to break it herself. "So, are you gonna say something, or do you not know English now either?" she scowled.

He shook his head as she watched him sit beside the tree. Sitting down next to him, she listened to him say, "So, I guess this means it was all true?"

Not sure of what he meant, she lifted part of her eyebrow at him. "What are you talking about?"

"I knew something was up when I saw all that footage you had of Arnold." Gerald began as Helga began to blush, looking away from him.

"There more I think about it, this actually clears up a lot of things." he went on, as she quickly whipped her head around. "Things? What things?!"

"For instance, you falling through the wall the day we were discussing the go cart with some weird cassette thing you were holding. That was weird. Then when Arnold brought that bird for show and tell, it looked like you were about to whack it with your umbrella...before that lizard took care of it for you." Gerald listed things he remembered as Helga threw her hands into her face.

"Then when we did our school play, Romeo and Juliet, you gave Arnold what seemed like a ten minute kiss. And when Arnie came…" Gerald began as Helga jumped from her seat, "Alright! Alright! I admit it! I have feelings for him!"

Gerald leaned back as far as he could with his arms crossed against the tree, smiling at her. "Feelings huh? What kind of feelings?"

Helga rolled her eyes with a hand on her waist pointing a finger at him. "That depends, what kind of fist do you want in your face?!"

Not seeming to care about her threat, Gerald continued to smile as they then heard Arnold and his parents approach. "Okay you two! Let's get back to the village and find your class!"

Gerald quickly sat up as Helga was having a hard time looking Arnold in the eyes. Not only did her true love now know how she felt about him, his best friend did as well. She wasn't too worried about whether or not Arnold could keep this secret. Before she told Gerald, the only thing she had to worry about was _when_ she would be willing to let go of her reputation.

Now that Gerald knew about her feelings, she had to worry not about how much longer it would take for her love life to start, but _who_ might find out about it before she was ready.

As they began hiking back, Arnold stayed close to his parents. They were so excited to see each other, it was as though the kiss had never happened.

"So son, exactly what grade are you going into? Who's your teacher? What school are you at? We've got a lot of catching up to do?" Miles asked as Stella smiled at her son.

"My friends and I are going into the sixth grade with our teacher Mr. Simmons. I've been at P.S. 118 for awhile now, so we've all gotten really close. Gerald's been my best friend ever since pre-school! We do everything together!" Arnold explained happily as Stella looked back at his friends.

"What about that sweet girl who's with us. Is she a close friend of yours?" Stella asked, while his friends were too far back to hear. Arnold began to blush, trying to think of what to say. "Oh yeah, she's a...close friend. I've known her as long as the rest of the kids in my class that is."

Turning his head to look back at her, Arnold saw Helga and Gerald speaking to one another. _I wonder what they could be talking about._

"Why didn't you ever tell him? I mean, It's not like he's violent or anything. If you're worried he's got secret footage of you hidden in his room somewhere to show to everyone, I think we both know, he doesn't." Gerald said wittingly.

Helga began to clench her fists as she stopped to face Gerald completely. "Look hairboy! What happened back there. What...I'm not sure or not if he's clear on or not...but what you obviously do now know...is personal! You're in dangerous territory! So wipe that stupid smile off that face of yours and forget everything that happened!"

Forgetting they were falling behind, Gerald shook his head at her. "Helga, I'm no therapist...especially not yours. But to like someone they way you do Arnold means you CLEARLY are not as tough as you claim to be. Besides, we've had the same kids in our class for years now. Don't you think you've made it obvious that while you ACT tough, you've never actually done anything to hurt anyone….not even Arnold."

Miles, Stella and Arnold all turned to face them when they noticed how far behind Gerald and Helga were falling. "Hey guys, are you okay?" Arnold asked, looking back at them.

"We're fine man!" Gerald replied, walking in his direction. Helga stood still a moment, thinking to herself _He's right, what am I doing. My reputation may just be making me look weaker as I get older. We're growing up. People expect relationships to form at our age. Not my negative, immature attitude. Just because that's true though, doesn't mean the IDIOTS in out class are ready to grow up and realize that. What am I supposed to do?_

With her hands in her pockets, she began to follow the rest of the group, when she saw they were beginning to no longer be within her sight.

"So Gerald, tell us about you and Arnold. He says you two have been best friends since preschool." Stella said. Gerald gladly replied "Yep! He and I have had some crazy adventures together. Like the time he and I saved the neighborhood from being torn down!"

Arnold's eyes widened at the thought of his moment with Helga on FTi being brought up. It was then he butted in to say, "Uhh Helga still seems to be having a problem catching up. I'm going to go get her."

Gerald took no interest in his best friend running off as he went on to explain the story of what happened to their neighborhood.

Meanwhile, Helga was continuing to slowly make her way towards the group. Hands in her pockets, staring at the ground, it was only a matter of time before her thoughts were once again interrupted by "Helga?"

Not quite as startled this time, she looked up to see Arnold standing in front of her with a concerned look on his face. "Huh? Oh hey Arnold."

"Are you okay Helga? You seem to be having a hard time keeping up with us." Arnold asked as Helga was tempted to scowl at him.

"Yeah! Soo… _Don't get mad. Don't act immature. Just be yourself…_ I mean I'm fine. I'm just tired I guess. Hehe." she replied as sweat began to form on her face.

Arnold looked at her with half lidded eyes as he took her hand, quickly pulling her back to the rest of the group. Being dragged along, she thought to herself. _Oh Crimity! This is torture! Here I am with the boy of my dreams, and in a few hours, I'll be forced to either act like within the short time we spent out here, we no longer hate each other...or continue acting like a jerk for the sake of my reputation and possibly break his heart. Pttss...break his heart. Who am I kidding? There's no way he feels about me the same way I do about him. How am I supposed to know for sure if I don't tell him though? How am I…._

"Helga?" Arnold called, as she again looked at him with petrified eyes. "What is it, Arnoldo sheesh?!" She exclaimed, not being able to help her old habits.

"Listen Helga, I think I know why you're so nervous. I know you have feelings for me. Judging by what happened back there, you didn't have the easiest time showing them. If you'd like, we can just be friends. If it makes you feel comfortable, we can go back to being 'enemies.'" Arnold suggested as Helga's eyes widened. Finally the boy she dreamed of being with was showing a sign of reciprocating her feelings. Was she willing to throw it all away due to her insecurities? She stuttered "Oookkkay. If that's what you think is best?"

Only wanting her to be happy, Arnold nodded his head. "I guess that's it then. We can forget this whole thing never happened."

 _First Day of 6th Grade_

Walking down the halls with his best friend, Arnold and Gerald began talking about his new home life. "So, what's it like having your parents back, buddy? Or for the first time!" Gerald asked as Arnold gave a weak smile. "It's actually pretty cool. They have about a hundred new questions for me about school, my friends, and anything interesting I've done over the years every day."

Suddenly, Arnold felt himself being yanked around the corner, near the hallways steps. Widening his eyes at the girl with pigtails and pink bow that flattered her pink jumper, he asked "Uhh do I know you?"

"Look football head, I know we said we could forget the romance thing in San Lorenzo never happened, but you don't have to be THAT overly dramatic about it!" Helga insisted, as she rolled her eyes with her hands on her hips.

Keeping his wide eyed expression on his face, Arnold added "Are you new here? I don't think we've ever met?"

Clenching her fists, she did her best to bring out her sensitive side. "Look Arnoldo, I thought about what you said back in San Lorenzo. I don't WANT to forget that ever happened. Yes, I feed off my reputation. Yes, it warms my heart to see the terror one look of my fist brings to the other kids faces. Yes it's going to take me awhile to become, umm 'open' in public...but it's worth knowing you have feelings for me to." Helga gulped. She couldn't believe she had gotten that last part out. Even if she had been staring at the floor while saying it.

"I'm sorry, you seem like an uhhh interesting person, but I have no idea what you're talking about?" Arnold said, just as the bell rang. Turning away from her to head to class, Helga screamed "Arnold Wait!"

Helga was left standing there, thinking to herself _Did he take me that seriously, or did someone hit HIM with a baseball?_ She continued standing there until…...

"Hey Arnold! Hey Arnold! Hey Arnold!" Helga shot up from the bed, sweat pouring down her face. Looking around, she saw herself laying in Arnold's bed alone. _It was all just a dream?_

Wiping her head with relief, she then looked down at her finger. _Wait, where's my wedding ring? That frustrating eight months I spent planning with Princess couldn't have just been an antagonizing nightmare, could it?"_

Sitting under the covers a moment, gathering her thoughts, Helga heard a familiar voice opening the door. "Morning sweetie, today's the big day!"

There Arnold was with a glass of orange juice and a plate of waffles for his lovely wife. "I figured you'd need something to eat. Last night turned out to be more rough than fun for you I think."

Helga looked at him with wide eyes, not knowing what to ask first. _What happened last night? Are we still married? You know my name, right?_

Seeing the sweat on her face, Arnold put a hand on her head. "Does your head still hurt? You should definitely eat something!"

Not caring about the idea of knocking the food out of his hands, Helga jumped up to hug him. "Whoa!" Arnold exclaimed, quickly setting it aside.

"Arnold, I had the worst dream! I dreamt you said we should just go back to hating each other after we kissed in San Lorenzo. Then when we got back home, you didn't even know who I was! Maybe you were just messing with me. Either way, it was awful!" Helga exclaimed as tears began to form on her face.

Arnold sat beside her on the bed, rubbing her back as she rested her head on his shoulder. "Don't worry Helga, none of that happened. You were probably just shooken up from the party we had last night."

"Uhhh…." She replied, trying to think back to it.

Giving a weak smile, Arnold replied "It was pretty irresponsible of me to say yes when the rest of the boarders offered to buy us alcohol for our party. I guess if we had just invited a few of the boarders to the wedding, Rhonda might as well have gotten the Crazy Cancun hotel."

"Wait! If we're still married, what happened to my ring?" she gasped, hoping to get every detail straightened out.

Holding her hand in his, he replied "Don't worry, it's got to be around here somewhere. Just get a little rest. We're moving into our apartment this afternoon. I don't think either of us wants you to feel sick during that." Arnold said, kissing her on the cheek.

Helga picked up her fork to cut her waffles, but the constant shaking of her hand wasn't helping the situation. As she was taking her first bite, she saw Arnold heading for the doorway. "Wait!"

He whipped his head around to ask "What? What is it?!"

"I...I mean. Where are you going?" she stuttered, feeling embarrassed to still have been worried by her dream.

Walking back over, he said "I was just going to make sure everyone is going to be ready to help us move our things this afternoon. I trust my parents are on top of things, but you never know about my grandparents."

"Oh, okay." she said, as Arnold watched her take a bite of her food. He then headed downstairs to the kitchen to see his parents eating their waffles with his grandparents.

"Morning sweetie. How's Helga doing?" Stella asked, as Arnold took a seat at the table.

"I think she'll be alright. She just had a rough night." Arnold insisted as Phil butted in. "Doesn't shock me. That was one heck of a shindig you threw shortman!"

"What exactly did we miss while we went to dinner and the movies?" Miles wondered as Arnold began to blush. He didn't want to tell his parents about the alcohol involved, but not much more would give Helga the migraine/hangover she was experiencing.

"Oh, just listening to music and discussing what everyone is going to be doing when school starts back up." he replied as Phil lifted an eyebrow "That's a funny way to describe drinking and gambling? I don't know anything about you youngin's vocab these days however!"

Miles and Stella looked at Arnold with concerned eyes as Arnold's face grew redder. "Son, you're not old enough for that?" Miles said calmly as Arnold quickly replied. "I know it was stupid. I'm sorry! No one got hurt though!" No sooner had he said this, Helga walked in holding her head, still wearing her purple nightgown.

As they heard her moaning, Stella asked "Good morning sweetie. How are you feeling?"

"Aside from the fact that I feel like I got hit by a truck...I think I'll survive." she replied.

Arnold's parents gave him the _I told you so look_ as he walked over to help her. "Maybe you should just stay home while we do the moving today. It's not going to hurt us to have one less person. Besides, your family will be there to help us." Arnold insisted as Helga scoffed "Yeah, I don't know what kind of financial benefits Bob thinks he'll be gettin' out of that?"

"You know he's changed Helga. They're doing it to help us." Arnold insisted, placing his hands on her shoulders. She crossed her arms, looking away from him, as she replied "He bought us the apartment. He's done his loving gesture. He's not Santa freakin' Claus Arnoldo!"

"Look I can't change the way you feel about them, so if you want to just forget about it, we can." Arnold said agitatedly as Helga's mind immediately flashed back to her dream. When Arnold could sense she would never be able to let go of her insecurities, he told her he was willing to just forget anything ever happened between them.

Arnold saw her standing there frozen with her hands at her side and her eyes wide as could be. "Helga? Helga are you alright?"

"Wonder what kinda drink she had last night?" Phil asked as Miles glared at him.

"Helga!" Arnold shouted, finally snapping her out of her daze. "Huh? Oh sorry. I think I'll go back upstairs."

"Are you going to be alright sweetie? Do you need something for your head?" Stella asked, looking concerned.

By the time she had finished her question, Helga had made it to the top of the stairs.

Arnold turned to face his family, not sure what she could be so worried about.

"What exactly happened last night son?" Miles wondered, keeping his eyes on Arnold, as the soon to be college student's eyes lit with fear. "Nothing! We were just having some drinks with friends...that I know we shouldn't have been doing to begin with." he sighed as Stella gave him a disappointed look.

"If by hurt, you mean hurt feelings, I'd say so! Kids were makin' drinks all night long and didn't bother to offer me one!" Phil exclaimed as Arnold rolled his eyes.

"Dad, why would you let them do that?" Miles asked, shaking his head at his father.

"Oh lighten up son. Arnold's mature enough to know not to do anything stupid...WHILE he's drinking that is. Hehe." Phil pointed out as Arnold once again rolled his eyes at his grandpa's unhelpful information.

"Uhh maybe I'll go check on Helga. She must have something on her mind." Arnold insisted, quickly turning to head upstairs. _Maybe she's just nervous about her internship, or school, or moving out, or…_

Before he could finish his thoughts, he heard a voice on the other side of his bedroom door.

"Thanks Pheebs. See ya soon."

Arnold came in as Helga was setting down her phone, standing up to get dressed. "Hey football head, how's it going?"

"Umm okay. Are you feeling better?" he asked, not sure of what was going through her mind.

"I guess so, Pheebs is coming over for awhile. We might do something before the move this afternoon."

Watching her change, he asked "Are you sure you're up for that. You seem upset about something." Arnold asked, scratching the back of his head.

Not wanting him to see the fear in her eyes, she turned away as she was throwing on her blue shirt. "Like you said, it was a crazy night for both of us. I'll be fine by the end of the day."

Walking over to kiss her, she stepped back. "Uhh you know, maybe we should save that for tonight. Don't want to wear ourselves out…" she insisted, tugging on her collar.

As he stared at her with pleading eyes, they heard a knock at the door. _Knock Knock_

The two of them turned their heads towards the door as they simultaneously said "Come in!"

"Hello Helga. I'm hope you don't mind I brought Gerald with me. He thought Arnold might like some extra help with the move this afternoon!" Phoebe suggested.

"Sounds great!" Arnold replied, as the two did their secret handshake.

"Well, I guess Pheebs and I are going to head over to Slausens for a milkshake." Helga suggested, looking towards her best friend.

"Milkshake? Man, isn't it a little early for one of those?" Gerald laughed as Arnold rolled his eyes.

"Says the guy who thought the way to win an election would be by eating twice his body weight in junk food!" Helga exclaimed as the four of them headed out the door.

Making it down the steps of the boarding house, the guys went in the opposite direction of the girls. "I guess we'll be going to the arcade until it's time for the move." Gerald said as he waved goodbye to Phoebe.

Seeing the girls walk away, Gerald said "I couldn't help but notice you and your lady didn't say goodbye or even attempt to make a gesture at one another. Everything okay buddy?"

Arnold sighed as he continued looking in Helga's direction. "I don't know, Gerald. She's been acting weird since she got up this morning."

"This morning? Try all her life!" Gerald exclaimed, as Arnold wondered when he would ever drop the negative remarks about what he still couldn't believe to be his wife.

"I'm serious Gerald. I tried to kiss her, but she wouldn't let me. I tried talking to her in the kitchen about the move, but she ran away from me. I walked in to bring her breakfast this morning, and it was like she couldn't believe I even knew who she was?" Arnold began to explain as Gerald lifted an eyebrow.

"Well, those weren't exactly sodas we were drinkin' last night buddy." he hinted as Arnold sighed.

"Was Phoebe acting weird this morning?"

"No, but that could be because after she took a few sips of hard lemonade, she decided to go find some real lemonade." Gerald laughed as a frown formed on Arnold's face.

Meanwhile, the girls had just made it to Slausens. "Well here we are Helga. I'm assuming you'll be wanting your extra large triple chocolate shake." Phoebe smiled as they stood outside the door.

Helga held her head at the thought of digging into the cold treat. "On second thought Pheebs, do you think we could just take a walk around the park. Tall hair boy may have been right about it being too early for that...as much as I hate to admit it."

Phoebe was always happy to help her best friend out. "Certainly Helga." The two then began walking in silence towards the park. Helga with her hands in her pockets, head hanging low. Normally, Phoebe was the one person she would be willing to open up to. Having no memory of what happened at that party last night however, she didn't know what could have caused her to have such a crazy dream. There was only one way to find out...

"So, what exactly happened last night Pheebs?

Looking over at her best friend, Phoebe replied "Well, we and the rest of our friends may have taken things a bit further than necessary. Especially seeing as how we're not even what is considered to be legally old enough to drink."

"About that. How far did things go? Did I drink to much? Sleep with someone else? Blow off my internship? I mean crimity...I lost my freakin' wedding ring?!" she exclaimed.

"Well Helga…" Phoebe began as she was interrupted.

"Plus the fact that I had this bizarre dream about Arnold and I didn't exactly put what was left of my mind at ease this morning!" Helga exclaimed as Phoebe's attention was then moved to that. "What kind of dream?"

Rubbing the back of her neck, Helga pondered the idea of giving Phoebe every detail or just the basics as she did with Arnold. "I don't know if it's really that big a deal, but you know how I tend to overthink things."

"That's okay, you can tell me." Phoebe insisted.

"Basically, it started when Geraldo interrupted mine and Arnold's kiss in San Lorenzo." Helga sighed as Phoebe couldn't help but interrupt. "Oh my, that was quite a while ago."

Helga rolled her eyes, thinking to herself _ya think?_

"Anyway, after we started heading back to find the rest of the class, Geraldo insisted I open up to Arnold. Arnold could sense I wasn't comfortable doing that however, so he said we should just go back to being enemies."

"As willing as Arnold always is to help people out, that seems far to blunt a suggestion for him to give." Phoebe insisted.

"Then when we made it back to school, I was ready to admit to him I was willing to give that sensitivity crap a shot." Helga explained as Phoebe began to smile.

"When I told him though, he didn't know who I was?!" she added as Phoebe gave a concerned look. "What do you mean?"

"I mean he - didn't -know - who - I - was! I don't know if he was just messing with me or if that crazy jungle anti - English speakin' princess cast some vudu spell on him? Either way, he wasn't responding to me!" she exclaimed as Phoebe could see the look of terror forming in her eyes.

"Don't worry Helga, it was just a dream." Phoebe insisted, patting her friend's back.

"What does it mean though? Is he losing interest? Can he no longer deal with the secretive person I am? I don't know how wasted he got last night...obviously not as bad as me...but based on what happened in the kitchen this morning...last night could have opened up some emotions he didn't realize he had!" she exclaimed.

"What happened in the kitchen?" Phoebe asked, as the two of them finally made it to the park.

Sighing, dropping her head to the ground, Helga explained "You know I said Arnold was willing to forget about us in my dream just to make me comfortable. Well when we were talking about my parents this morning, he said he was willing to just forget about trying to make things work between me and them, because he saw how uncomfortable it made me."

"Well, didn't he promise to respect your privacy? That was one of his vows to you wasn't it?" Phoebe pointed out.

"Yeah, but you know football head. He can't give up on other people's problems. Now here he is, willing to drop things, just like that?! Is he already sick of me? Is he ready to forget about me?" Helga nearly screamed, as she threw her hands in the air.

"Helga, relax! The closer you two get, the more time you'll be spending together. The more time you spend together, the more chances you'll have of having a few bad moments occur. Not everything is perfect in marriage. Even when you were trying to put your wedding planning together, you had to remind yourself just being with him would be worth putting up with the stress of the planning. He's not going to let a few of your negative traits erase every feeling he's built up for you over the years." Phoebe insisted as she watched her friend look down at her finger with the missing ring.

Meanwhile, the guys were sitting in the arcade. Arnold nearly falling asleep watching Gerald play Runaway Bus Driver. "Will you ever get sick of that game?"

"Will you ever get sick of helping people?" Gerald asked, not taking his eyes off the game.

Arnold's eyes circled the room as he spotted the claw machine. "So, Helga said you saw them win the ring the night I ran out of here."

"Yep, she couldn't help but brag about how quickly she did it. Not that I ever took my eyes off the game, but it sounded like she was talking to a guy while she was doing it too." Gerald explained as Arnold turned his head back towards him.

"A guy? What were they talking about? Was it someone we know?"

"I don't know man, like I said, I couldn't take my eyes off the game." Gerald insisted as Arnold now had something new on his mind.

Back at the park, the girls had just finished their second lap around. "So, what you're telling me is, I spent eight hours playing beer pong, drunk jenga and quarters with a bunch of saps who vomited after their first drink. Then decided to rub it in their faces by showing them I could keep down twice my bodyweight?" Helga sighed with a hand on her hip, not believing she was as old as she was and still cared about their classmates opinion of her.

"Precisely." Phoebe replied, nodding her head.

"Okay...that still doesn't explain what happened to my ring? Did I gamble it or did one of those loser classmates of our steal it?!" she insisted on knowing, as Phoebe gave her a disappointing look.

"I'm certain I don't know Helga. I left the party when I saw Gerald may need someone to walk him home. You don't need a ring to be happy though. Arnold loves you with or without it. Just help with the move this afternoon. Gerald and I will as well. If worse comes to worse, you can always get a new one." Phoebe smiled as Helga returned it.

"Thanks Pheebs. Where would I be without you?"

The two of them then headed home, ready to start the move to Helga and Arnold's new apartment.

Back at the arcade, Arnold couldn't take his mind off the idea of Helga talking to another guy. Was it one he would have to worry about, or was it just a five minute conversation?

"Yes! I did it! Tell Helga to beat THAT time, my friend!" Gerald exclaimed as Arnold shook his head.

"Come on. We need to get going if we're going to make it in time to help with the move." Arnold insisted, as they headed back to the boarding house.

The four of them arrived together, seeing the moving truck waiting outside the boarding house. Helga looked around as she thought to herself. _Looks like I was right about my family being a no show._

"So how big's this apartment of your's buddy?" Gerald asked, as the four of them watched the movers carry their things into the truck.

"It's not that big. It has two bedrooms, one bathroom, a decent sized kitchen, a living room, a dining area. That's pretty much it." Arnold explained as Gerald placed his hand on his best friend's back. "Guess you'll be using that extra bedroom for that baby you've been hoping for!" Gerald winked as both Arnold and Helga blushed terriblely.

"Uhh we'll see. First we need to work on school. Our internships are starting this soon. After we get our careers going, then we can start thinking about a kid." Arnold said, rubbing the back of his neck.

Helga let out a soft sigh of relief. She wasn't ready for such a big decision. Like Arnold said, they had their careers to think about first.

"Well kids, take one last look at the place, because you're about to start a whole new life." Stella said as Phil butted in. "Why would they want to fill their heads with more images of this old dump?"

Arnold shook his head as he replied "Actually, I would like to see my room one last time before we go. Would you like to come Helga?"

"Uhh sure." she replied, knowing there wouldn't be much to look at. She and Arnold thought differently. Before making it up there, he envisioned seeing his room as the place he spent all his wonderful childhood memories. She didn't see what the big deal was about it, until they made it up there.

As they stood there in the empty room, Arnold thought to himself _I'm really going to miss this place! The card games I played with the guys, the experiments I did with Gerald, the bedtime stories grandpa told me…_

Helga looked around knowing there was a slim chance of turning her head and seeing her wedding ring. Surely by that point, one of the movers clearing out the room would have found it and said something. As she moved her eyes around the room, memories flashed back to her _There's the couch I used to hide from Arnold when I stole back that dumb parrot, the closet I hid in when I watched them do those stupid experiments with my pink journal, the glass roof I spied on him through when I stole back my locket, the spot his bed was in when we made love for the first time…_

Arnold heard a small sigh slip from her nose, as he took her hand. Beginning to rub it, she turned towards him with sad eyes.

"Are you going to be okay? You haven't seemed like yourself today." he asked as her eyes began to widen.

"What are you talking about?" she insisted on knowing, as she tugged at her collar with her free hand.

"I just feel like there's something you're not telling me. I know you don't like people butting into your business, but I can't help you if you don't let me know what's bothering you." he insisted as she began to smile at the thought of him still wanting to help with her insecurities.

Looking down, she replied "I..I Just wish I knew where my wedding ring was. Pheebs said I got pretty wasted last night. It's bad enough I don't remember anything about last night. It's driving me freakin' crazy that no one has a clue what happened to the ring?!"

Taking her face in his hands, Arnold gave her one more passionate kiss he hoped would be long enough for them to both remember taking place in that room. "I promise as long as we have each other, it doesn't matter what happened to the ring."

While following him downstairs, Helga couldn't help but notice she didn't feel the tingling sensation during that kiss with him which she had felt with all their others. When she and Arnold kissed, everything felt perfect. It was as though they were two halves of a whole. Now the only two things on her mind were the missing ring and that awful dream. Was it just a coincidence, or did it happen because Arnold really was about to grow tired of her attitude?

Making it out the door, they saw everyone was ready to go. "Think we can cram ourselves into that old car with the rest of the herd?" Helga asked

"I guess we have no choice." Arnold said, rubbing the back of his neck.

The eight of them then hopped into what Phil considered to be his most prized possession...The Packard.

"Crimity! I have no leg room, whatsoever!" Helga scowled, as she and Arnold shoved their ways into the back seat.

"You're tellin' me! I'm pressed against the door hard enough for it to be my seatbelt!" Gerald exclaimed as Miles started the car. "Don't worry kids. The apartment's not far from here."

As the crowded car drove down the street, Helga took a look at everything she grew up with. Ice cream at Slausens, baseball games at Gerald Field, plays at P.S. 118… while they'd still be right around the corner from those places, she felt as though leaving the boarding house meant moving miles away from their childhood memories.

"We're here everyone!" Stella exclaimed as the tight group happily exited the car.

"Finally! Some leg space!" Helga scowled, as the rest of them got out to stretch. Stretching her arms out, Helga felt the bare space on her ring finger and was once again reminded of her moral dilemma.

As she dropped her head towards the ground, she suddenly felt a pair of arms wrapped tightly around her waist. "Baby sister!"

Helga's eyes widened, knowing who it was. Although that didn't make catching her breath any easier.

As Olga set her down, Helga turned to face her. "Oh baby sister! We're so excited to be here! You've got your own place, you'll be starting school soon, and internship, it's so, so…" she began to sniffle as Helga butted in. "Oh crimity! Knock off the water works! Sheesh!"

Squeezing her face, feeling a headache coming on, Helga heard "So, how long you think this'll take us? We got a shipment of cellphones comin' in later this afternoon."

Helga rolled her eyes at her father's remark, not sure of what to think. On the one hand, he was here. On the other, he was more concerned about his business.

Before she considered responding, Arnold walked over with his eyes lit up. "Hey Mr. Pataki! Thanks for coming!"

"Fine. Fine. So where's this apartment I'm payin' for? More importantly, where's the guy in charge of the place? Maybe I could talk him into buying some of my stores new appliances." Bob insisted as Helga began to walk away.

"Daddy! We're not here to sell anything!" Olga pointed out, almost laughing.

Bob began to roll his eyes as he helped Arnold and his family grab what they could. Once all the furniture, dishes, and other necessities were at last in the apartment, the group helped Arnold and Helga set things up.

"Man Arnold! Your parents sure gave you a lot of stuff for this place! I know my dad would still be onto me about that whole 'value of a dollar' deal." Gerald insisted as he helped his best friend rearrange the living room furniture.

"Yeah, I think I've still got one of those Wacko Watches. I'm sure it's in one of the boxes." Arnold assumed as Gerald shook his head. "I don't ever want to see one of those things again!"

While the boys were putting together the living room, Helga and Phoebe were working on Helga and Arnold's bedroom. "This is going to be quite a summer for you Helga! Now that you and Arnold are married and back from your honeymoon, you're moving into your own apartment. Soon you'll both be starting your internships for your dream careers. Everything is falling into place for you!" Phoebe insisted with a smile on her face, as Helga sat down on the bed with her face in her hands.

"What is it Helga?" she asked as Helga let out a deep sigh.

"I just can't shake the feeling that losing my ring had something to do with that dream. Maybe I'm still just shooken up from all that booze, but I just feel so incomplete without it. I know it's just a stupid piece of jewelry. The last thing I would ever be concerned about." Helga rolled her eyes as Phoebe sat down beside her.

"It's not stupid Helga. It's natural to feel concerned about the feelings your loved one has for you. You just shouldn't let that concern take control of your happiness...let alone you." Phoebe explained as Helga sat up.

After a moment of silence, Olga entered the room. "Baby sister! We're finished with the kitchen! Come and see!"

Helga followed Phoebe out of the bedroom, not expecting to be overwhelmed. She knew Olga always did an amazing job on whatever task she was given.

She entered the kitchen to see the cabinets filled with their wedding shower gifts, which had been mostly kitchen supplies. Pink hand towels set by the sink, and a wedding photo of her and Arnold sitting on the counter. Helga stood there thinking to herself _Once we get this place painted, it won't look too bad._

After a moment of enjoying the new atmosphere, Stella said "Well, now that everything's set up, perhaps we should go. That way Arnold and Helga can have a chance to enjoy their new apartment!"

Arnold smiled widely as he went over to hug his family. "Thanks for all your help!"

"No problem buddy! See ya soon!" Gerald said, as the two did their secret handshake.

After seeing him hug his family whom he had always been close with, Helga turned to look at hers. "Well, thanks for the help, I uh guess." she said, scratching the back of her head.

"You're so welcome baby sister! Call if you need anything!" Olga exclaimed as Helga thought to herself _in your dreams!_

"Well, enjoy the place. I'm not payin' for another one!" Bob said as he and the rest of them headed out.

Arnold gladly walked them to the door as Helga sat down quietly on the couch.

"Goodbye everyone! See you soon!" he exclaimed while turning to see Helga sitting, looking troubled.

Walking over to sit beside her, he put his arm around her. "So, this is it. We've finally got our own place!" he said happily, kissing her on the cheek.

"Yeah, it's great." she sighed, holding her finger.

"I told you your family would come!" he couldn't help but point out to her.

Crossing her arms, she replied "Except for the fact that Bob's back to his business like self and Miriam stayed home, unpacking her drunkin' body all over her own couch! I guess family therapist is the one career The Golden Child could never succeed at…. Pttss pathetic!"

"She can't be good at everything Helga." Arnold pointed out, rolling his eyes. Forgetting for a moment they were in their new apartment.

"Arnold, she majored in psychology! Sheesh!" Helga sighed as she looked away, staring down at her bare finger.

A moment of silence broke until Arnold noticed the disappointed look on her face. As he took her hands in his, he said "Helga, I know you're upset about the ring, but you don't have to worry. I'll buy you a new one!"

Clenching her fists, she stood up from the couch and scowled "It's not just about the ring football head!"

"What else is it about then?" he asked as his eyes widened, shrugging his shoulders.

"I told you about that psychotic dream I had. You were sick of trying to get me to open up to you. Then you didn't know who I was. Then I woke up this morning to find myself with no ring and you not caring all that much about my opinion of whether or not my parents helped with the move! Does that not seem a bit uncanny to you?! Like some crazy sign you're not as patient with people and their imperfections as you seem to be?! Like my subconscious was trying to prepare me for something?!" she exclaimed as he lifted an eyebrow.

"Prepare you? Prepare you for what? For me leaving you? Helga that's ridiculous!" Arnold exclaimed as he stood from the couch.

"Is it?! Or is it ridiculous that a sweet, sensitive, optimistic guy like you would stay with an rough, insensitive, pessimistic girl like me?" she attempted to scowl as her lips began to quiver. He walked closer to hug her, saying softly "I think you're just tired. Last night was rough and today was a big day for both of us. We should go lay down."

Arnold walked Helga to their new bedroom, laying her down on their bed. Helga pulled her knees up to her chest, holding her hands close to her as she laid on her side. Arnold laid there facing her, as he gently stroked her hair. The two kept eyes on one another, not saying anything. As he looked into her sad eyes that cried out for an answer, he remembered speaking about the ring to Gerald at the arcade.

Arnold couldn't help but ask, "Umm Helga…"

"Yes?" she replied, not moving her eyes away from his.

"When I was at the arcade with Gerald, he mentioned you were talking to another guy the day you won the plastic ring at the claw machine." Arnold replied nervously.

She cocked part of her eyebrow. Partly thinking back to that day, partly wondering where he was going with this.

"Yeah, I remember a kid with green eyes and blonde hair congratulating me when I won it. Had his head been a little wider, I probably would have mistaken him for you." she smirked.

Arnold began to rub her shoulder as she continued waiting for him to add something.

"Were you worried I was cheating on you?" she asked, lifting her head up.

His eyes widened as he sat up further then her, keeping his hand on her arm. "No! I was just curious who it was."

Helga cocked her eyebrow once more, not believing his explanation. "Well, I don't know who it was, but all he did was tell me how impressed he was with the way my 'hands move.'"

Not only did Helga have the idea of Arnold losing interest in her completely wrong, but he was now finding himself having a hard time fighting those 'you belong to me' feelings he explained he felt for her during their honeymoon.

She felt his grip on her arm tighten after explaining this bit of information to him. "Ouch! Sheesh Arnoldo! Just because I don't have a ring on my finger, doesn't mean I need you to make one on my arm!" she exclaimed, as he let quickly let go.

"I'm...I'm sorry Helga. I just didn't like that." he admitted feeling embarrassed, as he scratched the back of his head.

As she began to rub her hurt arm, laying her head down, she asked "You didn't like what? That I won a stupid plastic ring? Hate to break it to you Arnoldo, but they don't keep diamond ones in that machine."

Rolling his eyes at her remark, he set his hand where he gripped her arm tightly. "I mean, I didn't like hearing another guy was complimenting you."

Propping her head up with her hand, she replied "So, you'd prefer to hear me say another guy was insulting me?"

Arnold sighed deeply as he began to rub her shoulder. "No, I'm just always going to feel uhh...jealous...when you're talking to a guy that isn't one of our grade school friends."

Her eyes fell half lidded as she thought to herself…

 _Oh my beloved, who was I to think someone as purehearted as you wouldn't remain faithful. Someone as caring as you wouldn't be there for those in their time of need. Someone as patient as you wouldn't be willing to accept someone for who they are. Someone as…_

"Helga? Are you okay?" he asked as she began to shake her head.

"Huh oh sorry. I was just thinking…" she began as he laid on top of her with a gentle smile on his face. "I know what you were thinking."

She gulped at the sight of his eyes being an inch away from hers and the thought of him now knowing what it meant for her to be dazed out such as that.

"Like I said, you should have written my wedding vows." he smiled, running his fingers through her hair.

She let out a lovesick sigh as he bent further down to press their noses together. Closing her eyes, preparing to feel his soft lips against hers, she heard him whisper "I'm sorry."

Opening her eyes, she cocked her brow at him and asked "Sorry for what?"

Watching him run his fingers through her hair, she listened to him say "For being so irresponsible. I shouldn't have let everybody drink at the party. I drank a lot too, so I don't remember everything that happened."

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she began to scratch the back of his head as she couldn't help but ask "What exactly DO you remember happening?"

Arnold turned his head to think a moment. Like he said, his memory of the previous night wasn't perfect either….

 _The Party_

 _Gerald: Hey Arnold! Great party man! How'd you get your parents to buy beer for the party?_

 _Arnold: Actually, Mr. Kakoshka bought it when he heard there was a party. If I'd known that was why he was doing it, I would have told him sooner he wasn't invited._

 _Gerald: Well it's not like he lives here or anything._

 _Arnold: Hey where's Helga?_

 _Gerald: She said something about showin' Harold a thing or two about beer pong._

 _Arnold: She's never even played before?_

 _Gerald: So? You know how competitive she is!_

 _Dining Room_

 _Helga: Beat that shot wuss!_

 _Harold's ball hits Eugene_

 _Eugene: OW! I'm Okay…_

 _Stinky: Hey Helga! Betcha can't finish this case of beer faster than sid!_

 _Helga: One, I know I can. Two, what do I get WHEN I do?_

 _Sid: What do you want?_

 _Helga: Hmmmm…. How about those beloved beetle boots of yours!_

 _Sid: What! Not my beetle boots!_

 _Helga: What's the matter? Scared you'll lose a beer chuggin contest to a girl?_

 _Sid: NO! Fine, you're on. What do I get if I win?_

 _Helga: Pttss...right, like that'll happen!_

 _Sid: If I'm betting something, you have to bet something._

 _Helga: Hmmm…._

 _Stinky: Well that weddin' ring sure seems mighty nice!_

 _Helga: What would you saps want/need with my ring?_

 _Stinky: I wreckin' nothin'. It just seems like it's worth a shiny penny or two._

 _Helga: Fine! You win, you get the ring. I win, I get your boots!_

 _Sid: Deal!_

 _Stinky: Let the chuggin begin! On your marks, get set, chug!_

 _Gulp, gulp, gulp…_

 _Stinky: Winner...Helga!_

 _Sid: Dog gone it!_

 _Helga starts to fall from her seat_

 _Sid: Are you okay Helga?_

 _She begins to take her ring off._

 _Stinky: I wreckin' she don't look too good!_

 _Helga hands her ring to sid_

 _Sid: Uhh Helga you won?_

 _Stinky: I'm confused? Don't you have to give her somethin'?_

 _Helga falls to the floor_

 _Kitchen_

 _Rhonda: Uhhh my first alcoholic party and THIS is what's being served. Why aren't we being served martinis or margaritas?_

 _Phoebe: Technically, we shouldn't be having any of these drinks. We are underaged afterall._

 _Rhonda: Phoebe please! We are on the verge of starting college. You know those freshman we'll be starting with have already had a few drinks before._

 _THUMP_

 _Nadine: What was that noise?_

 _Dining Room_

 _Phoebe: Oh my Helga! What happened?_

 _Sid: We were seeing who could finish their drink first._

 _Stinky: Next thing we knew, she was kissin' the floor._

 _Phoebe takes Helga to Arnold's bedroom_

 _Living Room_

 _Gerald and Arnold sitting with their drinks on the couch_

 _Gerald: That beer is not sittin' right with my stomach, man!_

 _Arnold: I guess we're considered under-aged for a reason._

 _Gerald: You excited about the move tomorrow?_

 _Arnold: I'm too dizzy to be excited right now._

 _Gerald: I hear ya on that one buddy!_

 _Phoebe enters the room._

 _Phoebe: Arnold, I put Helga to bed. She was passed out on the floor._

 _Arnold: I should go check on her._

 _Gerald: Assuming you can get up that is…_

 _Phoebe: Don't worry Arnold, I gave her something for her head. She's asleep now._

 _Gerald begins to moan, holding his stomach._

 _Phoebe: I should take Gerald home. He doesn't seem to be feeling well either._

 _Arnold: Okay, good night you guys._

"Uhh I remember Gerald and I spent most of the night drinking and talking about the move. Then Phoebe came in to tell us you had fallen over. She said she put you to bed, then took Gerald home. That's pretty much all I remember." he explained as her eyes screamed disappointment.

"I know it's frustrating not being able to remember what happened. I promise that dream didn't mean anything, and it doesn't matter what happened to your ring. I love you and I won't be irresponsible like that again. This is an important summer for us." Arnold said as he leaned in, pressing his lips against hers. Feeling him run his warm hands up and down her arms, breathing heavily against her, sending a completely satisfied message through the comforting sigh he released, she felt the warm connection with him she was worried had been lost.

Taking his lips back to look at her, he saw a smile on her face he knew only he could bring to it. He wasn't sure if he should feel happy only he could be the one to bring it out, or guilty that few people would ever have the privelige of witnessing it.

Helga placed her hand on his face, feeling his smooth skin. Looking into his eyes that were full of content, she asked "Have you talked to Dr. Bliss recently?"

Arnold smiled, as he felt her hand with his. Thinking about the wonderful future that was in store for them, he replied "She actually said I could start my paid internship with her this week. I was going to tell you yesterday, but I don't think either of us could have handled the news by the end of the day."

"Pttss...I don't know. You seemed pretty giddy this morning!" she pointed out, as he shook his head. "Whatever you say Helga."

As she continued rubbing his face, he glanced at her ringless finger, thinking to himself _I wonder if one of our friends knows where it is?_

"I think I'm going to take a shower. Would you like to come with me?" he asked as Helga pondered the thought a moment. "I think I'm just going to stay here. I'm pretty tired." she insisted as Arnold bent down to kiss her soft lips. Parting them with his tongue, he began caressing hers with his. Tasting the sweet sensation of what was now 'his' delicate flower, he thought to himself _how could I treat someone so caring with such little care?_

Feeling the anger at himself build up inside, what starting out as softly wiping his tongue along hers turned into harshly sucking it. It was as if he was searching for the remains of any alcohol inside of it.

Her eyes flew open, not expecting such an aggressive movement from him. Normally, she'd be fighting him for the position, but just wasn't feeling up to it.

Letting go of her lips, he witnessed a confused look in her eyes. "I'm sorry. I know that was...unexpected. I'll let you rest now." he sighed, as he headed for their new bathroom.

Helga continued laying on the bed, thinking to herself _What the heck is wrong with me? Why do I feel so weak and powerless without that ring? Like my life has no meaning anymore. Or do I just hate that I can't remember everything that happened last night? Why would that make me not want to be with Arnold right now though?_

Meanwhile Arnold had just gotten the temperature to his liking in their new shower. He was pleased by how much quicker the water in this apartment heated up than at the boarding house. As he stood there scrubbing his hair with his eyes closed, he tried remembering things about the party. _I know the night ended with Harold vomiting in the bathroom...I had to listen to him for half an hour after all our other friends left._

Trying to think harder about any useful information on the whereabouts of Helga's ring, he suddenly felt two slindor arms wrapped around his waist.

No sooner had he opened his eyes, he felt a set of warm lips pressed against his. While he was enjoying the comfort it brought to him, it brought back a memory as well…

 _Party_

 _Dining Room_

 _Sid: Hey Arnold! We got some left over beer if you want it. It's kind of warm though._

 _Stinky: Hey Arnold! Look at this mighty fine ring Sid just won!_

 _Arnold held his head, feeling dizzy_

 _Sid: Actually, I lost the bet. Maybe Helga just gave it to me to be nice?_

 _Stinky: Nice? What in the heck makes ya think she'd do somethin' like that?_

 _Arnold began rubbing his eyes_

 _Sid: You okay Arnold?_

 _Stinky: Yeah, you look like Helga did when she was tryin' to take her ring off. 'Cept you're holdin' your head, not your finger._

Opening his eyes as he pulled away from her, Helga noticed the fearful look in his eyes. "What is it?"

As he watched the hot water fall from his wife's body, he thought to himself _Do I tell her? She's been so upset about this. I'm sure the guys would give it back…_

"I...I…" he began as her eyes grew from confused to frustrated.

"Spit it out football head!" she exclaimed, both of them surprised by her outburst. _Guess she's back to her old self. Which means I don't have to feel guilty I guess?_

Taking her hand in his, Arnold replied "Helga, I know where your ring is."

Her eyes lit up, wondering if he had known the entire time and was just now telling him. "Where is it?"

Rubbing her shoulders, he asked "I don't know if you remember the beer challenge you and Sid had?"

Helga's eyes remained fully opened. Hard as she tried thinking back, she couldn't remember anything of the sort happening. "Uhhh, no?"

"Well, after you beat him, you were so drunk you just decided to hand over the ring. Then I think that must have been when Phoebe ran into the living room to tell me you had collapsed on the floor." Arnold explained, trying to put the pieces together.

Helga began to clench her fists. She didn't know what was more infuriating. The fact that she gave her ring away after winning the match, or that she had been dumb enough to bet it in the first place.

"So you're telling me those idiot 'friends' of ours took advantage of me and my competitive skills just so they could get their redneck hands on something they know will never be of any use to THEM in life?!"

Arnold frowned at a few of the accusations she had made. Although she would never admit it, everyone at that party was a close friend. None of which would take advantage of her. He knew she would never see the rest of the guys in their grade school class as attractive, but she didn't have to lay it on them so harshly.

"Helga, you were not taken advantage of. You handed the ring over, and fell to the floor." he explained, grasping her hands tightly.

Not giving in to the idea of weakness, she scowled "So where does that leave us? Do those idiots plan to bet on who can pick up a girl first with it?"

Arnold stood there watching the rage in her eyes. He didn't want to keep that secret from her; especially since he hated how she was always keeping secrets from him. He was beginning to wonder however if it would have been best to just get it back before saying anything. It wasn't any better seeing her depressed and questioning their relationship than it was seeing her scowl and relinquish her anger about it however.

"Helga, why is it so important to you? Just because it's gone doesn't mean our relationship is over. We're married! What's the big deal?" he insisted on knowing. Their aggressive conversation had reached the point where they forgot they were even in the shower.

"It's just...It's just…" she began as his eyes widened. Rubbing her hands as he saw her turn away, he asked "What? Tell me!"

"Do you not remember those unbearable eight months before the wedding?!" she exclaimed as he raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, they were pretty hectic. What do they have to do with your ring?" he asked as she let out a deep sigh, that was covered by the sound of the water running.

"Arnold. It wasn't just the wedding planning that drove us crazy. It was trying to figure out if we were doing the right thing...getting married when we did. We went back and forth on the idea so many times in our minds and with each other, even though we continued on with the planning." she continued as he moved in closer.

"Pheebs had to constantly remind me if there was anything worth putting up with that girlish wedding crap, it's you." she explained as he leaned his head against hers.

"I just kept saying to myself after the wedding, there won't be anything left to worry about. He'll be mine forever. In San Lorenzo I told you I thought of marriage as a way of our love being cemented. I guess it just doesn't feel that way without the ring." she sighed as she continued resting her head against his.

"Helga, you're the most poetic/metaphorical person I know. I can understand if you can't help but see the ring as a symbol of our love. Do you really need it to prove the strength of our feelings though?" he asked, lifting his head up.

"I don't know football head! I guess it just brought peace to my mind. Just because I don't need it to feel that way about you doesn't mean...uhhh" she began to drift off as his eyes widened.

"You think I would love you less if I didn't have something like that to remind me we're together?" he asked, squeezing her hands tighter.

"Hey! You're the one who said in San Lorenzo you didn't like the idea of another person taking care of me. You said ten minutes ago how jealous you get when I'm speaking to guys other than our idiot friends. You can't call me crazy for wanting a 'WARNING! TAKEN!' sign on both of our fingers!" she scowled as he leaned in to kiss her passionately.

As they felt what was just barely lukewarm water pouring down their sides, he pulled her in closer. Pressing himself against her tightly, sucking her tongue, knowing it would never belong to anyone else, he pushed her against the wall.

"Crimity! That's the second spot on me I have to worry about you leaving a bruise on tonight!" she scowled as she began to rub her head.

Rather than apologizing, he put his hand behind her head and began to rub it for her, as he pulled her back in to kiss her. A few moments later, he felt her lips quivering. Slowly pulling away, he looked down to see her trembling body. It was then he noticed how cold the water had become. "I guess we should get out now." he suggested, as she anxiously nodded her head.

As the two stepped out of the shower, Arnold handed Helga a towel. The two dried themselves off, heading back into the bedroom. "Tomorrow's Sunday. I'll ask the guys what happened to your ring." Arnold said, looking over at Helga changing into her night shirt.

"Thanks. If it's gone, I guess it's no big deal. Like you said, we can just get a new one." she reminded him, as the two slipped under the covers. Facing each other with soft smiles, Arnold began running his fingers through her hair. "Even Cecile didn't look as sweet as you do right

now." he said as he leaned over to kiss her good night.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Whatever Floats Your Boat

The next morning, Arnold awoke, stretching his arm across the bed to where he expected to find his wife sleeping beside him. When all he felt was the soft sheets where her even softer body had laid the night before, he immediately opened his eyes to sit up. "Helga? Helga?"

As he got up, he said to himself _She must be in the kitchen making breakfast?_

Walking through the living room, into the kitchen, he thought to himself _I still can't believe this is MY house!_

There he saw Helga eating at the kitchen table, but not a breakfast she had actually made herself. "Morning sweetie. You uhh feeling any better?" he asked, scratching his head.

Munching on her cereal, she shrugged her shoulders to say "Ehh, my head still hurts a little. It should clear up after I finish this bowl of Sugar Chunk Cereal!"

Arnold began to rub his arm. He didn't want to pick a fight this early in the morning, but had to point out the flaw in her assumption. "Uhhh sugar can actually CAUSE headaches Helga. I think it's caffeine you maybe thinking of?"

Rolling her eyes at his know it all attitude, she felt the need to take another bite, before replying "Then why'd you buy it, headboy?! Is that why your head is twice the size it should be? It can't handle the pain of this excruciating, tongue pleasing treat, you've been munching on all these years?!"

Arnold witnessed the rage in her eyes. Not that it was unusual for her to have a witty comeback, but there was something about her hostility that seemed a bit forced. "Umm are you okay Helga?" he asked, taking a seat beside her.

As she sat there in her nightgown, wavy hair falling in her face that held a depressed look on it, staring at the empty bowl in front of her, she replied "I'm just peachy."

Arnold scooted his chair closer, sitting in his boxers, placing his hand on her left hand. "This isn't still about the ring is it? I told you it doesn't mean anything. As admirable as your poetic way of thinking is Helga, not EVERYTHING happens for a reason."

"Pttss...how would YOU know, football head?" she asked, leaning back in her chair, with her arms crossed.

"Well. look at Eugene. Can you think of a logical reason for someone to be so clumsy?" Arnold asked as Helga glared at him.

"Uhh yeah. His parents obviously didn't read the coordination skills section of the instruction manual when they made him!" she scowled as he rolled his eyes at her.

A moment of silence occurred as he thought to himself. _Why would she care about something as girlish as a piece of jewelry?_

Taking her hand again, he replied "How about this?" as she looked back at him.

"You seem to be living by the expression 'everything happens for a reason.' Nowadays, most people think 'whatever happens, happens.'"

As she cocked her eyebrow at him, she asked, "Why is that any better?"

Leaning in closer, he explained. "Because it means, to let things be and not fight them."

Running his fingers through her hair, he went on. "It's a way of accepting where the flow takes you, or as you would say 'whatever floats your boat.'"

She began to blush as her frown disappeared. Leaning in closer, he pushed her cereal bowl aside, as he leaned his head against hers. "I don't know why you had to lose it, I just know I would never let a random decision life made for me change the way I feel about you." he whispered as their lips met.

Feeling her suck his tongue as she moved into his lap, he thought to himself _Maybe I would be a good therapist?_

She pressed his face against hers harder as she tilted the position of their heads. Feeling him breathe a heavy sigh through his nose, she thought to herself

 _Arnold my love, why am I to be with someone so forgiving? Someone willing to work night and day to find a solution to any troubling way!_

As he was tempted to lift off her shirt, their first intimate experience in their new kitchen, they heard a noise. BEEP!

Releasing his tongue, she said "I think that was your phone." Helga got off her beloved as he went to grab it from the living room.

"I'm guessing that was Geraldo?" she asked unamused.

Arnold continued to stare at his phone as he replied "Actually, it's from Dino Spumoni. He says Mayor Dixie can have you start your paid internship tomorrow if you'd like. I wonder why she didn't just text you herself?"

Helga began to scratch her head as she replied "Oh, I kind of forgot to ask him for her number at the wedding. I mean crimity, we were getting married, I wasn't thinking about my job!"

Laughing at her, he replied, "Well this means we both get to start our internships tomorrow!" Arnold said excitedly as Helga began to fantasize about what it would be like. Spending the day giving orders to people, as she had always done as a kid. Then coming home to spend a quiet evening with her true love. Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted by another noise "BEEP"

"I think it was your phone this time." Arnold laughed as Helga got up to put her bowl in the sink. "Crimity! What are these people doing bothering us this early on a Sunday morning!"

Arnold came over to wrap his arms around her, as she read the text. "Looks like Pheebs has something to tell me. Guess I'm goin' to the park."

Arnold squeezed her tight, feeling a bit disappointed. That could be their last free day to spend together completely, depending on how busy both their internships made them. "Well, have fun I guess. Maybe Gerald will want to do something." he replied as he pulled her in to kiss her. She began to tremble as she noticed he couldn't help but press their parts together. Hearing her moan, he pushed her onto the couch.

 _Arnold my love! Your sweet words of encouragement bring comfort to my soul the way the touch of your warm hands does to my heart! How could I think a mere object could compare to the wonders which you possess?_

She thought to herself, as he began to slide his hands under her nightgown. Feeling her breasts, he thought back to San Lorenzo, as she was trapped in this position. Remembering what he had said to her, about not wanting anyone else to be the one to take care of her, he thought to himself _Maybe she does have a 'little' bit of a point about the ring._ The fear he felt of losing her, made him squeeze her tightly, as her eyes flew open.

Loving the moment, she thought to herself _Pheebs is probably wondering where I am._ Pulling her lips away from his, she said "I should get going. She needs me." Helga sighed as he continued to look into her eyes a moment before getting off of her. "You're right, I'm sorry."

As Arnold stood up, Helga didn't waste any time going to get dressed. He sat on the couch a moment, pondering the idea of what he and Gerald would do if he called him. _I really don't feel like going to the arcade just to watch him play Runaway Bus Driver. Maybe I could just invite him over here for awhile._

Helga then entered the room, wearing some jeans and a pink t-shirt to match the hair clip Arnold had bought her almost a year ago.

"I love that hair clip on you!" he smiled as she began to blush.

"Thanks football head. Maybe we can get you one. I mean, your hair is all over the place." she pointed out as he began to roll his eyes. "Whatever you say Helga."

She then exited their new apartment as he began to text Gerald.

"Hey Gerald, would you like to come over and hang out at my place for awhile?"

No sooner had Arnold set his phone down, he heard it beep.

"Can't man. I've got to sign up for the rest of my college classes. You can come hang here while I do if you want."

By the time Arnold had finished getting dressed to go over there, Helga had made it to the park.

"Hey Pheebs, what's up? What'd ya need to tell me?" Helga asked, not caring to greet her properly.

"Good morning Helga. Do you remember the blonde boy with green eyes who we met at the arcade. The night you won Arnold's engagement ring." she asked as Helga's eyes widened.

"Yeah? Arnold was actually asking me about that last night." she said, lifting part of her eyebrow.

"Well, last night when Gerald and I were getting some ice cream at Slausen's, I overheard him talking at the table with some friends….

 _Previous night_

 _Gerald: Man! They should have served this ice cream at their wedding!_

 _Phoebe: I believe they did order an ice cream cake to share from the website Rhonda showed Helga. Sadly, they left in too big a hurry to remember it._

 _Gerald: So we could have taken it if we wanted?_

 _Phoebe: I'm afraid so._

 _Gerald shook his head as Phoebe noticed the group of boys at the table across the room_

 _Jason: I'm starting work with Dr. Bliss tomorrow. Nothing big. Just to get an idea of what psychology is like._

 _Mark: That sounds great!_

 _Jason: Yeah, I just wish that girl I'd met at the H.H.S would have stuck around_

 _Mark: What girl?_

 _Jason: I think her name was Helga. I invited her for ice cream the night we fell asleep together. She was gone when I woke up the next morning though?_

Helga's eyes began to widen with fear. Before she could say anything, Phoebe asked. "Helga, did you sleep with…"

Her best friend was then interrupted by "NO! I did not sleep with him! Are you insane?! Gimme a break Phoebe, you know Arnold is the only guy I've ever had feelings for! Sheesh!" Helga exclaimed as she threw her hands in the air.

"Well okay Helga. What exactly happened?" Phoebe couldn't help but ask.

Dropping her arms, with her head hanging low, Helga let out a deep sigh. "You know those eight months of wedding planning were not easy for me!" She began as Phoebe nodded.

"That day in the cafeteria when you and I sat together because Arnold and Geraldo were having a private conversation about my dramatic scene on the bus that morning...you know, the one where I flipped out over being a few minutes late for class? He told me to figure out how much he really meant to me. How important it was to me that he was included in my future."

She proceeded as Phoebe added "I remember."

"Well, after school, I decided to go to the park and clear my head when I turned down your offer to come over to your place. There I ran into football head's lamebrain cousin helicopter head AKA Arnie!" Helga exclaimed as Phoebe continued to listen.

"The dweeb invited me back to the H.H.S with him. I told him there was a fat chance of that happening until he lures me in with the idea of checking out their writing and managing groups." she was ashamed to admit as Phoebe replied "That does seem like it would be hard for someone with your interests to turn down."

Helga scoffed as she placed a hand on her hip. "Yeah, well anyway. Thanks to football head's contagious guilty conscience, I thought 'maybe if I see what it's like to experience my dreams without him one night, I'll know how much he means to me?'"

"So you went to experience the activities, and ended up meeting Jason?" Phoebe concluded as Helga nodded her head.

"What did he expect to happen between the two of you?" she wondered as Helga shrugged her shoulders. "Beats me. We were sleeping in a room filled with some cheap cots since all the bunk beds were taken. He insisted I pull mine up next to his. As long as we were nowhere near helicopter head, I didn't care. Then, as we were falling asleep, he asked me to get ice cream with him the next day."

"It sounds like he was hoping for a relationship to form." Phoebe pointed out as Helga looked away.

"All I know is, him bringing up that topic made me have a bizarre dream about Arnold and I. That's when I knew I had to go back and make things right between us the next morning."

Meanwhile, Arnold was at Gerald's, watching him sign up for classes on the computer.

"So, have you decided yet what you'll be majoring in?" Arnold asked, as he sat on the bed beside Gerald's desk.

"Nah man. Phoebe's going with neuroscience. I figured I'd just get my basic classes out of the way first. By then I should have an idea what I'd like to do. Unless you think Simmons was right about me being a Talk Show Host?" Gerald asked.

Rolling his eyes, Arnold replied "Gerald, that is a terrible idea!"

Raising his eyebrow at his friend's dramatic response, he countered "No more ridiculous than Pataki running for office!"

Hearing his wife being brought up made questions race through Arnold's mind _I wonder what Phoebe needed to tell her? I wonder where her ring is? Do the guys still have it? Did Phoebe find it? Who was that guy she was talking to at the claw machine?_

"Hey Gerald?" Normally Arnold's thoughts would have been interrupted, but his friend was still focused on his choice of classes.

"What is it man?" Gerald asked.

"Did you get a chance to talk to Phoebe this morning? She said she needed to tell Helga something?" Arnold asked anxiously, as he began to lean towards him.

"No? Are you two already looking for a marriage counselor? If so, I'd rethink your career." Gerald insisted.

Shaking his head at him, Arnold replied "No, Phoebe just said she needed to tell Helga something. I'm wondering if she found the ring?"

"Not that I know of. Why does Helga even care. I mean, Pataki has NEVER been fixated on girlish stuff like that?" Gerald pointed out.

"She seems to be worried losing it is some sort of sign we're not meant to be together." Arnold sighed as he faced the floor.

Turning away from the computer, Gerald asked "What?!"

"I guess I can understand how she would feel that way. She's always been metaphorical." Arnold pointed out, as he scratched the back of his head.

"Metaphorical? What has she done to you? That or you read too much!" Gerald exclaimed.

"I'm thinking about talking to all the guys who were at the party to see if they have it. At least if they have an idea of where it might be." Arnold said hesitantly.

Gerald shook his head as he replied "Arnold, when will you learn? First of all, every guy we know was at that party! You'll basically be spending your whole summer looking for it. Second, it's a ring, not a wallet. There's no need to flip out like that. Third, you can't keep acting like all y'all's relationship problems are only YOUR problem. Finally, I'm no therapist, but it sounds like this is about more than the ring. I mean seriously man? When's the last time Helga G. Pataki flipped out over losing a piece of jewelry...let alone WORE one?"

"She's been wearing a locket since grade school!" Arnold protested

Gerald lifted an eyebrow as he asked "She what now?"

"Uhh nevermind?" Arnold looked away, beginning to blush.

Back at the park, Helga was contemplating what to do about Jason. "So, are you going to tell Arnold what to expect when he goes to see Dr. Bliss tomorrow Helga?" Phoebe asked.

Helga began to sigh with her hands in her pockets. "I don't know Pheebs. I already told him the story of what happened at the shelter, I don't think I told him Jason was there with me though. I didn't think it would matter since I had no interest in him. Then he seems to care about the fact that some guy congratulated me for winning a stupid plastic ring at the arcade? It's so hard for us to read each other sometimes. Maybe that's why I hate the fact that I lost the ring? Our relationship is so fragile. We love each other, but so many things can wreck the peace of it!" she thought out loud to herself as Phoebe placed a hand on her shoulder.

"If peace of mind is what you want for the two of you and your relationship, you have to tell him Helga." Phoebe insisted as Helga looked over at her.

Over at Gerald's place, Arnold was tempted to follow through with his plan of checking with all their friends about the ring, alone. Looking over at Gerald's fixation on the computer, he thought to himself _I've never seen anyone take this long to sign up for basic courses!_

"Well, I think I'm going to head out Gerald. Good luck with your classes." Arnold said, as he waved goodbye.

"Alright, catch you later man." Gerald replied, not turning away from the computer.

 _It's as if he's discovered a new Runaway Bus Driver!_ Arnold thought to himself.

Exiting the home, Arnold began to head towards the boarding house, until he remembered he no longer lived there. As nice as it was having his own place, it felt strange. _I guess I could go grocery shopping. Possibly get dinner started. I know Helga won't be doing it._

Arnold continued walking down the street until he made it to the Corner Store. He grabbed a cart and began searching the aisles for things he knew he and Helga liked. _This feels so weird. Maybe Helga was right about hiring someone to do this for us?_

After a few trips around the aisles, Arnold got into Mrs. Johanson's line. In front of him was a boy with blonde hair and green eyes he accidently bumped into with his cart.

"Oops, sorry. I'm having trouble steering this thing." he admitted, as the boy turned and said "Don't worry, no harm done. I see you've got some chocolate ice cream!" the boy couldn't help but point out.

Arnold picked it up as he said "Uhh yeah, it's my wife's favorite! Maybe one day I could learn to make her a milkshake."

"I could show you! My mom and I used to make them together." the blonde replied as Arnold eagerly said "Really? Sounds great! Would you like to come back to my place?"

The line then began to move as the boy replied, "Well, I'm actually busy today. I have kind of an important job I need to prepare for that I'm starting tomorrow. I'm sure we could find sometime this week to do it though."

The two left the store after checking out, and Arnold walked home with a smile on his face.

Making it home, he saw Helga sitting on the couch watching TV. She turned her head to see him carrying a handful of groceries. "Sheesh football head! I told you just to hire a cook and a maid!"

Rolling his eyes at her, he replied "Well, that won't exactly solve TONIGHT'S dinner dilemma."

"Oh shut up Arnoldo!" she exclaimed as she began helping him unpack.

Making it to the bottom of the last bag, he said "I hope you don't mind, but I got strawberry ice cream."

Stepping away from it, she scowled "What the heck for? Are you insane?!"

Arnold couldn't help but laugh as he replied "Just kidding. I would never do that to you."

She rolled her eyes as she replied "Will you EVER get sick of that joke?"

Watching her put it away, he began to walk closer to her. Putting his arms around her, he asked "I don't know, will you ever get tired of calling me football head?"

She began to blush as he pressed their noses together. "Uhh probably not."

Their lips then met as he put his hand behind her head, pulling her in tighter. Feeling him wrap his tongue around hers, she thought to herself _I wonder if I should tell him about Jason?_

Her thoughts were then interrupted as he set her down on the kitchen table. Lifting off her shirt, he leaned into kiss her as she said "Imagine doing this in the kitchen at Chez Paris."

"It was a romantic restaurant, we would have just been setting the mood." he whispered as she sighed.

Laying her down, he gave her a long lingering kiss. She held his face with her hands, while she could feel him sliding his hands behind her back to unhook her bra. As he began to take it off, she thought to herself _What am I going to do when he meets Jason tomorrow? Do I just pray they never figure out they're in love with the same girl? What if he gets upset with me? I didn't know that guy had feelings for me?_

As Arnold was holding her breasts, he began to feel her grip on his tongue loosen. Letting her go, he asked "Is something on your mind, or did it feel just that good. Unless you're deciding to let me be the aggressive one for awhile. It's hard to read your mind" winking at her.

She stared into his emerald eyes, wanting deeply to tell him the truth. What would come of it though?

"I...I…" she began while a concerned look formed in his eyes, as he hovered over her on the table. "What is it?"

She began to look away as he sat her up. "You can tell me."

"You remember that night I ran away to spend at the H.H.S?" she asked, not making eye contact with him.

"Yeah? What about it?" he asked, shrugging his shoulders.

Helga sighed deeply, not knowing how to get these next words out. The longer she took, the more nervous Arnold became. "What happened?"

"I met a guy there." she said bluntly, hoping he'd be his usual forgiving self.

"You mean you…" he began, backing away from her.

"NO! NO! I didn't cheat on you!" she exclaimed as she jumped off the table to grab her clothes.

"What happened then? Why else would you be so concerned about telling me something like that?" he asked anxiously.

"Because Pheebs called me to the park today to tell me she overheard him talking." Helga began as Arnold's eyes stayed focused on her.

"It turns out he likes me. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. He invited me to get ice cream with him the night we slept together." she explained, realizing then she didn't word that correctly.

Arnold stood frozen, breathing heavily as he asked "Wait a minute? You SLEPT together?!"

"NO! Not in the same bed or had sex or any of that other romantic crap!" she exclaimed as her eyes widened with fear.

"Then what do you mean?!" he began to grow angry, not knowing where this could be going.

"We were sleeping on some cheap cots they had at the shelter. Turned out all the bunk beds were taken. All I cared about was staying on the opposite side of the room of your lamebrain cousin! He followed me to where I set my cot. Basically, all he was doing was showing me around the place. At least, that's all I was letting him do. I didn't know the reason he was sticking around was because he had feelings for me?" Helga explained.

While she felt relieved to have gotten that off her chest, she stood there trembling at the sight of Arnold not being able to respond.

Finally, Arnold took a seat at the table, leaning his head in his hand against it. Helga stood in front of him as she went on "I never would have said anything if Pheebs hadn't told me she heard him talking about me at Slausen's yesterday!"

Arnold looked up to glare at her, as he replied "So, you were just going to keep this from me? I thought you were going to try to be less secretive?"

"There was no secret! I don't like him. I had no idea he felt that way about me! And no offense football head, but you can't expect to walk into a homeless shelter and not speak to anyone. I mean, the place isn't exactly what you would consider to be isolated!" she said defensively as he sighed. "Whatever you say Helga."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked angrily.

"It means, 'Whatever floats your boat.'" he walked out of the apartment as Helga dropped her arms, widening her eyes.

After a moment of self pity, she grabbed her phone to make a call.

Meanwhile, Arnold was walking down the street, this time intentionally heading towards the boarding house.

When he arrived, he knocked on the door, thinking to himself _This feels so strange! I wonder if I should have just walked in? It's not like I didn't live here for 18 years._

As he was finishing up his thoughts, the door opened and the animals nearly knocked him off the step.

"Hey shortman! Thought you would've gotten used to those animals by now?" Phil laughed as Arnold replied "Uhh yeah. Guess I was just thinking about something. Do you think I could come in?"

"Sure. I'm just sittin' in the living room readin' my stories!" Phil said as Arnold followed him in there.

Arnold took a seat on the couch as Phil sat in his rocker. "So, what's eatin' ya shortman?"

"Well, Helga went to the park with Phoebe today." he began as Phil interrupted "And she didn't invite you? That's a shame!"

Rolling his eyes, Arnold continued "Phoebe told Helga another guy likes her!"

Holding his chin, Phil said "Hmm another guy, huh? Did she get a good look at 'em?"

Lifting an eyebrow, Arnold replied "Uhh she knows who he is, but didn't describe him to me."

"Hmm...guess you won't be able to blackmail or play any pranks on him then." Phil admitted as Arnold rolled his eyes.

"Where'd she meet this guy anyway?" he asked as Arnold sighed "The Hillwood Homeless Shelter. She went there one night with Arnie when we were engaged."

Phil's eyes lit up as he leaned forward in his rocker. "What in the blue blazzez was she doin' followin' that kid around?! Maybe I was wrong about the two of you? Then again, look at how crazy your grandma turned out to be…"

"We got into a fight that morning, which I guess made her feel like she couldn't come home that night. Arnie found her in the park and asked her to go back to the shelter with him." Arnold began as he was once again interrupted.

"You must have really upset her…"

Feeling full of guilt, Arnold went on. "Then she met another guy. She said he was just showing her around, but Phoebe told her he actually has feelings for her."

"Well, don't let it get to you shortman. She didn't leave you for Arnie. I would've recommended calling Hillwood Medical Center if she had." Phil winked

Meanwhile, Helga was at the park, with another friend. " .mmm! Helga, that is one messed up story!"

"Oh gimme a break Geraldo! You gonna help me or not?!" she exclaimed, placing her hands on her hips.

"What do you want me to do about it? I can't make this Jason guy leave you alone?" Gerald pointed out as Helga rolled her eyes.

"No! But you can talk some sense into Arnold! Tell him I would never leave him for another guy!" she exclaimed as Gerald shook his head.

"Look Helga, I believe you...crazy as it sounds. But after the scene you made about the missing ring making or breaking your relationship, bringing another guy into the picture doesn't exactly put his mind at ease about how stable your feelings about the two of you are. You have to forget about that stupid thing! I get you're into that, as Arnold said 'metaphorical' mumbo jumbo, but you got the real thing in front of you...and that's him!" Gerald pointed out as he pointed a finger at her.

"Alright, thanks hair boy." she sighed as the two of them went their separate ways.

Helga began to head back for the apartment, as Arnold had the same idea.

"Well, it's getting late grandpa. I should probably get home and start dinner."

"Ohhh whatcha havin'?" Phil asked as Arnold shrugged his shoulders. "We're not sure yet. I bought a bunch of groceries today. Guess we'll figure it out when I get home."

Widening his eyes, Phil asked "What in the heck were you doin' grocery shoppin'? That's her job!" he exclaimed as Arnold rubbed his neck. "Uhhh right grandpa. See ya later."

"See ya, shortman!" Phil replied.

Making it home to an empty house, Helga thought to herself _I wonder if I should start dinner. Last time I tried didn't turn out so well…_

Muttering to herself, she went through the cabinets "I'm sure I could find something cheap and easy. Let's see, Mashed potatos? Pttss...no way am I trying that again! Pasta? Vegetables? Isn't there anything microwavable in this house?!"

Suddenly, she gasped at the sound of the door opening. Normally, she'd scream out her husband's name, followed by an insult to hide her insecurity. Neither of them was ready to break the uncomfortable silence that existed between them however.

Arnold went to sit on the couch as he heard her continuing to shuffle through the cabinets. _I wonder if she has something in mind to make, or if she's just searching for something she knows she CAN make?_

Glancing over his shoulder to see she still hadn't pulled anything from the cabinets, he decided to go over and help.

Helga felt a hand on her shoulder as she whipped her head around. Seeing her husband standing there with a weak smile on his face, her lips began to quiver.

"I'm sorry Helga. I know you would never cheat on me, and I hope you know I would never do that to you." he said as she threw her arms around him.

"I'm so sorry! Sometimes I just feel like our relationship is unsteady because we're so different in a lot of ways. I guess I just felt like that ring was a reminder of our differences not being a problem for us. I swear I had no idea he liked me!" Tears flew from her face as she buried it in his shirt. She didn't care about how sensitive she seemed to be in front of him. Now wasn't the time to annoy him with her hostile behavior.

Arnold began squeezing her tight, thinking to himself _maybe we were both over-reacting. We're newlyweds, we're going to have troubles along the way._

"It's okay Helga. Like you said, those places aren't exactly isolated." he replied as the two couldn't help but laugh.

He wiped her face for her, looking at all the open cabinets. "So, did you already know what you wanted to eat, or were you just looking for something easy to make?"

She rolled her eyes at his question as she replied "What do you think Arnoldo?"

"That's what I thought. I bought some TV dinners to microwave. Maybe you and I could take a cooking class together this summer?" he suggested.

"And you just decided to hide the easiest thing to make in the last place I'd ever look?" she scowled, snatching them from him.

"In the freezer beside the ice cream? Yeah, who'd expect you to look there?" he said wittingly as she turned to glare at him.

"Hey! Cooking requires accessories from every place in the kitchen BUT the freezer!" she argued as he lifted an eyebrow. "So, I was just supposed to place those in the cabinet and hope they wouldn't go bad before you felt like 'cooking' something?"

"Oh shut up Arnoldo!" she exclaimed as she set the microwave timer.

The two sat at the table, waiting for the food to prepare. As an awkward silence occured, Helga thought to herself _Arnold left before I could tell him Jason would be working with him. I think he left before I even told him his name!"_

BEEP! "They're ready!" Arnold said, as he got up from the table.

Helga began to shake as he set the food down in front of them. On her way to grab herself a drink, she saw Arnold standing beside her with a napkin. "You might need this." he said wittingly as she smirked "Maybe I LIKE my face messy!"

"I think I've heard better comebacks from you. If that's the case though, so do I." he winked at her, as the two sat down.

For once, Arnold finished his food first. Not because Helga was eating politely, but because she was just sitting there quietly picking at it with her fork.

"Are you okay? Normally you're licking your plate by now." he couldn't help but point out.

"Huh, oh yeah, I'm fine." she replied, as he continued to stare at her.

"I don't think you are. Was there something you left out when you told me about that guy from the shelter?" he felt he had to ask.

She rolled her eyes, slamming her fork on the table. "Sheesh Arnoldo! Save your theraputic techniques for the medical center, would ya?!" she scowled, stomping into the bedroom.

Following her in there, he saw her changing into her nightgown. _I wonder what she's not telling me?_

As he watched her lay on the bed, he sat down beside her. Taking her hand in his, he asked "Please tell me what's bothering you. I won't get mad this time. I'm sorry I did last time. I know I'm always asking you to be honest, so it wasn't fair of me to get upset with you like that."

Helga sighed as she began to rub his hand. "Pttss...How do you know you won't get upset?"

"I said I wouldn't get 'mad'" he couldn't help but laugh as he pointed out to her.

Rolling her eyes, she sighed. "You're going to be working with the guy I met at the homeless shelter."

"How do you know that?" Arnold asked as he lifted an eyebrow.

"Because Pheebs heard him saying he's starting work with Dr. Bliss tomorrow. I don't know what he'll be doing there. Just don't be surprised if you run into him." she frowned.

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it I guess. You never did tell me his name or what he looks like." he replied.

"It's Jason. He's got blonde hair and green eyes." she smirked as he bent down to kiss her. Holding her face in his hands, he began to suck her tongue roughly. Feeling like he was about to pull it out, she thought to herself _He's been hanging around me too long!_

She began to moan as he ran his fingers through her hair. Pressing their faces together tighter, she felt him let out a deep sigh as he twisted his tongue around hers. Letting go of her face, he looked into eyes that he knew he would only ever be the one to find innocent.

He stood up to get undressed as she watched him search the nightstand drawers for something.

"If you're looking for the condoms, I think we're out." she said regrettably.

"I knew I should have bought some at the store. All I was thinking about was finding some easy things to make for dinner." he sighed as she rolled her eyes. "News flash Arnoldo! All ya had to do was hit the freezer aisle!"

"Says the girl who spent an hour digging through the cabinets?" he replied as she scowled "Oh shut up and go to sleep!"

"Whatever you say Helga. Sweet dreams."

Although she drifted off quickly, Arnold laid there awake. His mind flashed back to the description Helga had given him of the guy congratulating her at the arcade.

 _Blonde hair and green eyes. Could they be the same person? Helga went to the homeless shelter awhile after winning the ring. It's possible he liked her by that point. She said she didn't know who he was though?_

Arnold wasn't able to keep his mind at peace most of the night.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Big Day

"Hey Arnold! Hey Arnold! Hey Arnold!" Arnold turned over to shut off the alarm that was kept on his side of the bed at their new apartment. It may not have been necessary to set it however, considering the lack of sleep he had gotten that night.

Looking over at his wife, he hated the idea of waking her. Today was a big day for both of them however. Nudging her shoulder, he said "Helga, Helga it's time to get up! We don't want to be late!"

Helga began to rub her eyes, as she sat up. Arnold wanted to bring up the thoughts that had gone through his mind the night before, but didn't want to start something that early.

"So, what do you think you'll be doing with the mayor today?" he asked as the two searched for some formal clothes.

Shrugging her shoulders, she replied "Beats me. As long as I'm gettin' paid to boss people around, I suppose that's all that matters."

"Whatever you say Helga." he shook his head as the two entered the kitchen.

Getting ready to open the freezer, Helga asked "So, did you buy any microwavable breakfasts, or will we be having cereal?"

"Uhhh is cereal okay? He asked, scratching his head as she rolled her eyes. "What happened to, 'sugar actually CAUSES headaches!'" she wittingly reminded him.

"You're not sick. I don't think it will be an issue this morning." he replied as the two sat down together. Each of them with something on their mind. Helga wondered how good she would be at this new job. Arnold was more concerned about the people than the work at his new job.

"Well, guess I'm off to work. Don't wanna be late." Helga said, as she placed her bowl in the sink.

"Oh okay. Have a good day." He said, nervously watching her leave. _I guess it's good this Jason guy's working with me and not her. At least that way I know he can't try anything funny. I'm just making it sound like I don't trust Helga though._

Arnold sat and pondered this until he saw it was time for him to leave.

On his way to the Hillwood Medical Center, Arnold ran into a familiar face. "Hey, how are you?"

Arnold turned to see the boy he had seen in line at The Corner Store. "Oh, hey. I'm good, just going to work."

"You work here?" the boy asked, pointing to the medical center.

"Sort of. I mean, I'm starting an internship today." Arnold explained as the boy's eyes lit up. "Me too! This should be fun! I never did get your name yesterday?"

"Oh yeah. I'm Arnold." he replied as the boy shook his hand. "I'm Jason."

Arnold gulped as he examined the boy _Blonde hair; green eyes...is he the same guy?_

"Are you okay? You don't look too good?" Jason asked.

"Uhhh yeah, I'm fine." Arnold replied, scratching his head.

"Well, let's go inside. We wouldn't want to be late!" Jason insisted as Arnold followed him in there. _This is going to be a long day!_

Meanwhile, Helga had just made it to the Mayor's office. Feeling a bit nervous, she entered the building to find someone who could help her. She walked in to find Mayor Dixie on the phone with the police department.

This made Helga think back to career day in fourth grade, when she drew police officer for her position. If there was one thing she loved more than Arnold, it was giving orders.

"Thank you! Bye!" Mayor Dixie said, as she hung up the phone.

"You must be Helga. Dino Spumoni told me all about you! Congratulations on your wedding!" she walked over to shake Helga's hand as Helga began to blush "Oh umm thanks."

"So, has this always been your dream job?" the mayor asked as Helga had trouble making eye contact. She could feel her insecurities getting the best of her. "Actually, when I was a kid, I wanted to be...president. I've always liked leadership roles."

Mayor Dixie smiled, knowing exactly how she felt. "Well, I think this would be a great start for you."

Helga began to look up, hoping things were going just as well for Arnold.

Inside the halls of the medical center, Jason was walking with Arnold to Dr. Bliss' room. "So, is this your first time here?" Jason asked.

"I've passed by it a few times, but never actually stopped inside." Arnold explained as Jason continued. "I've actually seen Dr. Bliss a few times as a patient. It's nice having someone to talk to when you're feeling troubled."

"Yeah, I can understand that." Arnold replied as he thought to himself _I wonder if Helga saw him here when she did therapy?_

The two at last made it to Dr. Bliss' office. As Arnold was about to knock on the door, he felt Jason grab his hand. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"She could be with a patient. It's best to sit and wait for her to come out. We are a little early after all." he explained as Arnold shrugged his shoulders.

"So how far along are you in college?" Jason wondered.

"Actually, this fall will be mine and my wife's first semester." Arnold replied, forgetting about what may happen if Jason were to ask about Helga.

"You got married at a young age, it seems?" Jason continued to pry as Arnold hesitated to respond. "Yeah, we're only eighteen, but we've known each other since we were three."

"You two must know everything about each other!" Jason exclaimed as Arnold began to scratch his head.

"You would think, but she's not as open minded as I am." he replied, wondering if he had revealed too much about their relationship.

"Not everyone is. That's what therapy's for." Jason smiled as they heard the door open and a patient leaving.

"Come on in boys. Let's get started." Dr. Bliss motioned them in as the two stood up.

Meanwhile Helga was being handed a list of assignments which were expected of that position…

General office assignments

Program Planning

Research and Analysis

Data compilation and entry

Constituent services

Field work

Communications and Correspondence

Looking down at it, she couldn't help but scowl "Crimity! Do they really expect you to get all this taken care of, or do they have some sort of Vice Mayor to help make your life easier?"

Mayor Dixie laughed as she replied "It's not as overwhelming as it seems. Once you get the hang of everything, it won't seem like such a big deal. We'll start the office assignments tomorrow. Now that you're familiar with everything, you can take the list home and meet back here tomorrow morning."

"Well thanks. See ya tomorrow." Helga replied as she got up from the desk. Heading out the door, she saw how early in the afternoon it still was. _Arnold can't be home yet. I wonder what Pheebs is up to?_

Ring...Ring...Ring…

"Hello?"

"Hey Pheebs."

"Good afternoon Helga. How was the first day of your internship?"

"Eh, nothin' special happened. Wanna grab a burger?"

"That sounds delightful."

"Meet ya at Tri-State Diner."

"Meeting!"

As Helga headed for the the diner, she wondered if Arnold had gotten the courage to bring up their relationship to Jason, or if he was just going to wait and see if it came out on it's own.

Little did she know, Arnold's mind had been put at ease about that when he and Jason were being given their list of responsibilities to expect for the job.

"Okay boys. I have a list here of requirements for your internship training." Dr. Bliss explained as she handed them each a copy.

Performance Responsibilities:

Service Requirements:

Individual Counseling

Group Counseling: Co-lead minimum of one group per semester

Crisis Intervention: Serve as on-call person four hours per week

Outreach Programming: Conduct programs/workshops as assigned by Outreach Coordinator

Personality Assessment: Administer and interpret personality tests with clients as necessary

Training Requirements:

Supervision: Individual Supervision 1-2 hours per week

Training Seminars: Regularly attend and participate in training seminars 1-2 times/week

Staffings: Attend/participate in weekly staffing meeting

"Will we be meeting with patients every day?" Arnold asked.

Nodding her head, Dr. Bliss replied "It's good practice for your position. Don't worry, I'll be there to supervise."

"I have a feeling this will be a fun summer!" Jason exclaimed as Arnold reviewed the sheet _I wonder how busy Helga is going to be?_

Meanwhile Helga had just been handed her burger at Tri-State Diner, while Phoebe was eating a salad.

"I'm glad your first day went well Helga. Gerald told me about your meeting with him at the park?" Phoebe confessed as she watched Helga shove her burger into her mouth. The fact that she was wearing a professional suit didn't seem to phase the thought of how she should be eating.

"Pttss...figures." she replied, taking a sip of her drink.

"So did the two of you patch things up?" Phoebe asked, as Helga sighed, suddenly not looking so hungry.

"He forgave me for not telling him about Jason sooner. Although I don't know what the freakin' deal was. I didn't know the guy had feelings for me." she began as Phoebe nodded.

"True. You had other things on your mind that night."

"I don't know how long they'll be able to work together without things blowing up in someone's face. Jason could threaten to steal my feelings, which may at some point drive Arnold insane and cause him to choose between me and his job! I mean crimity, he's proven just because he's the nice type doesn't mean he's not the jealous type!" Helga exclaimed as she threw her face in her hands, with her elbows on the table.

Phoebe then reached over the table to place a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Helga, Arnold wasn't technically angry with you. He just knows how confidentiel you are. Hearing about something like that made him worry you may be hiding something he WOULD have to worry about."

Helga began to look up as she scowled. "What? Like just because I left out a piece of pointless info pertaining to one minor event in my life, he felt my poetry books might actually be filled with names and numbers of guys I'm cheating on him with?"

If anyone was Helga's therapist, it was Phoebe. She had always been the person Helga could unload harsh feelings onto without having to worry about a negative response.

"What I mean Helga, is that if you don't become comfortable sharing ALL of your life's details with Arnold, he won't know what to expect. You may not have meant anything by leaving out Jason when you told Arnold about your night at the homeless shelter. Arnold knows what a hard time you have revealing personal information however, so he couldn't help but wonder what deep meaning there may be to the situation." Phoebe explained as Helga leaned back in her seat.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. Crimity! I'm attempting to take charge of a city...aiming one day for the entire country. Yet, I can't get my love life together. Sheesh!" she exclaimed, crossing her arms, turning away as the waitress came by to hand them the check.

"Here you go girls! Enjoy your day!" the lady said, as the two friends headed out the door.

"So, how are things between you and Geraldo? Have you chosen your majors yet?" Helga asked, trying to get her mind off Arnold and Jason.

"I've chosen to go with neuroscience. Gerald can't seem to make up his mind." Phoebe replied as Helga rolled her eyes. "That's why he needs you...to keep him in line. If you're major's neuroscience, the two of you shouldn't have a problem."

Knowing she was only joking, Phoebe nodded her head. "I must say, despite the stress this may be putting on your relationship, I think Arnold has chosen quite an impressive career path as well. He's always done a wonderful job of helping people with their problems."

Helga continued facing forward as the two of them walked down the street, while she took in her friend's words. "Yeah, he's always been this town's problem solver. I'm sure by the end of the summer, it'll be called Shortman Medical Center."

"Did you personally ask Dr. Bliss for the internship for him, or did he address her himself?" Phoebe asked as Helga turned towards her.

"I gave him the idea. He did the hard part. Why?" she asked, wondering if there was a catch to this.

"I was merely wondering if Dr. Bliss was aware he was married to you?" she asked as Helga cocked her eyebrow.

"Pttss...I don't know how else he would have been given the job this soon before college? That was a pretty nice thing of her to do come to think of it. I'll have to stop by and thank her some time...when Jason's not there." she replied.

Making it to the apartment, Helga turned to her friend. "Well see ya Pheebs. Thanks for the pep talk."

"Certainly Helga." Phoebe nodded her head, as she headed home.

Helga walked inside to an empty apartment. _Guess Arnold's still not off work. That or he's buying take out for dinner 'til our cooking class starts?_

Knowing the microwave was a better cook than she was, she decided to head for the bedroom to rest her eyes awhile.

Moments later, Arnold made it home, once again creeping in quietly. _I guess Helga hasn't made it home yet?_

As he sat down on the couch, he received a text message.

"Hey Arnold! It's Jason."

Arnold felt awkward talking to someone who had feelings for his wife. It was bad enough he had no choice but to work with him.

"Hey Jason. What's up?"

"I forgot I promised to show you how to make those milkshakes. I'm free now if you'd like me to come over?"

 _Helga's not home. She already knows I know about him. I know she doesn't have feelings for him. I would just have to worry about what his reaction would be when he saw her._

As Arnold was getting ready to text back, he felt a set of arms around him. He gasped as he whipped his head around to say "Helga?! You're home?"

"Yeah, the mayor gave me a list of things my job required that she said we'd start on tomorrow. Guess it wasn't something she wanted to make a half-day activity." she said, as she took a seat beside him on the couch.

"I guess I can understand that. Does it seem like a job you'll enjoy?" Arnold asked hopefully. All he wanted was for her to be just as happy with her career as she was with her love life.

"I gotta back breaking list of responsibilities, but I suppose great power comes with great responsibilities. That is, until I'm rich enough to get someone to handle them for me." she sneered.

Wrapping his arm around her, he smiled "I think you mean until WE'RE rich enough."

"Hey! I don't recall making any joint checking account with you Arnoldo!" she scowled as he leaned in closer. "You're right, that's another thing we'll have to take care of this summer."

As they're lips pressed, they heard Arnold's phone beep. Arnold jumped at the thought of forgetting to reply to Jason.

"Who's texting you?" Helga wondered as she saw how secretive Arnold seemed to be about it.

"Umm…" he began as he thought to himself _I can't lie to her if I expect her to be open with me._

"It's uhh Jason." he gulped as her eyes widened.

"I guess this means you told him about us?" she assumed as he began to scratch the back of his head. "Actually, he turned out to be someone I already knew."

Helga cocked her eyebrow as she replied "What are you talking about?"

"I ran into him at The Corner Store when I did our grocery shopping. He offered to teach me to make milkshakes for you. We didn't exchange names there however, so I had no idea who he was." Arnold explained as Helga rolled her eyes.

"So, two strangers arranged to cook together without exchanging names, addresses or any other imperative information which may be required to make the special event happen. Pttss...pathetic."

The two were both relieved at the other's reaction to the situation. Arnold by the fact that Helga didn't seem to mind how close this job would bring him and Jason. Helga by the fact that Arnold didn't seem to mind the chance this would give Jason to find her. Then again, Arnold hadn't mentioned their relationship to him yet…

Texting him back, Arnold replied "I'm actually cooking dinner for my wife. I'm sure we could find some time this week to do it."

Helga leaned over to read the message he had sent. She cocked her brow as she said "Are you actually making me dinner, or is texting the only way your conscience will allow you to lie to people?"

Rolling his eyes, he replied "I thought we agreed the microwave would be our cook until our class begins."

"Whatever Arnoldo! It'll have to be a weekend class. I've got a motherload of responsibilities!" she exclaimed as Arnold began to scratch his head. "Yeah, mine's pretty exhausting too. I'm worried we won't have much time to spend together this summer."

"I'm not going to bother to learn to cook for you if you just plan on ignoring me, football head!" she scowled as he leaned over the couch for something.

"When I saw how busy my list would make me this summer, it made me think about all the time I'd have to spend with Jason." he began as Helga cocked her eyebrow "So you're coming onto him now?"

Rolling his eyes at her remark, he continued "It made me think about how scared I was when you told me about him. I may have overreacted a bit. That's why I stopped to get these on the way home."

Helga looked to see him holding a box of condoms as a wide grin grew on her face. "Did you bump into Geraldo again?"

"Ya know, you didn't exactly walk out of the store filled with dignity that night either?" he reminded her.

"Zip it hairboy!" she scowled as he began to open the box.

Heading for the bedroom, Arnold heard his phone beep again.

"UHH Crimity! Can't you put that thing on silent?!" she scowled as he read the text.

"It's Gerald." Arnold informed her as she began to get undressed.

"What's tall hair boy doing, bugging you at this hour? Shouldn't his face be glued to the school website?" she asked, hanging up her suit.

"He wanted to make sure everything was okay between us? I guess because of the ring. Although it's kind of a random check up." he scratched his head as Helga began to blush, remembering Phoebe's words _You have to be willing to share ALL your information with him._

"Oh, well uh…" she began as Arnold set his phone aside to undress himself.

"What is it?"

"He's probably asking, because when you left me after our little dramatic scene that took place in the kitchen, I had him meet me in the park." she admitted as he raised an eyebrow at her.

"What for? Don't you normally talk to Phoebe about that type of thing?" he asked, sitting on the bed in his boxers.

"Doi! Of course I do!" she exclaimed, hanging up her suit, watching him shrug his shoulders.

"What'd you call him for then?"

"I told him I knew he was the only one who could convince you to stay with me. Although I'm not concerned about it anymore, he told me the scene I made about losing my ring didn't exactly help put your mind at ease about the strength of my feelings for you after hearing about Jason. I'm sorry I overthink things. I'm also sorry I have a hard time opening up to you. There's no excuse for that. I'm sorry I…." she tried to continue before she was interrupted.

Arnold pulled her onto the bed, pressing their lips together tightly. She could only assume her firm kissing style was contagious. Flipping her over, laying on top of her he twisted their tongues tightly. Keeping their faces together, as he reached back to unhook her bra. A terrible thought then flashed through his mind

 _Helga may not cheat on me, but what if she starts to form feelings for Jason? I can't hide it from him forever that we're married. He's bound to see her at some point; more than once. Would he do anything to manipulate her?_

Helga felt the grip on her tongue loosening as well as his arms around her. "Are you okay?" she asked, looking at his concerned eyes.

"I know neither of us would ever cheat on the other." he began as she cocked her brow at him.

"Uh huh? I thought we concluded that already."

"What if…" he continued as gave a questioning look "What if what?"

"What if you end up growing interested in him? Like I said, he's going to find out about us eventually. Just because we would never 'try' to lose interest in one another, doesn't mean it couldn't still happen?" he attempted to sit up as she pulled him back on top of her. Reaching behind his head to press their lips together tighter than he had before, his eyes remained open as he thought to himself _Maybe I should watch my open-mindedness in these intimate situations._

Feeling her bra hanging off her, she dropped her hands from his face to allow him to remove it; still not releasing his tongue. He laid his hands on her breasts, feeling her smooth skin, as the thought of losing someone as sweet as they were sour began to make HIM tremble.

Feeling him shake, she loosened her grip on him, as she once again felt the need to kill the mood. "Arnold, if I made it eighteen years without so much as glancing at another guy, I don't think one night sleeping on a cot spent in a mood killing orphanage is going to change the way I feel about you. It doesn't matter how he feels about me. Like you said, no one can come between us." she assured him.

Getting off her to take off his boxers, he went to grab the condoms. As she watched him get ready, she asked "Would you like me to get my ribbon?"

The idea of someone taking her away from him the past two days had been torture enough. He didn't need another way of feeling as though she was out of his reach. "Uhh funny thing about that. I think it got left at the boarding house?"

"Pttss...Please! I don't know what's sadder? Your lies when you DO attempt to try it or the fact that you think I would lose something so valuable?!" she exclaimed, rolling her eyes at his density.

Crawling back onto the bed, he leaned over her as he began to pull off her underwear. "Well, at least we never have to worry about me keeping any secrets from you." he couldn't help but say as she rolled her eyes at him.

"Maybe not, but…" she hoped to throw his words back into his face, but was suddenly interrupted. A moment after Arnold pressed his member as far into her as possible, rubbing in and out as hard as possible, Helga's face fell to pieces. She spread her arms across the bed, gripping onto the sheets, while Arnold hovered over her thinking to himself _Imagine a powerful political mind such as herself in such a fragile position._

Helga began to moan deeply as her eyes remained shut. Arnold's heavy breathing turned to panting as he felt sweat forming on his face. Stopping a moment to wipe his face, Helga continued to moan. She was so lost in it, he thought to himself _I wonder if the neighbors can hear us?_

Wanting to continue, he felt he had reached his limit. He laid his head down on Helga's chest as the two felt each other breathing heavily against one another. She began running her fingers through his hair as he turned to kiss her chest.

"I love you Helga." he whispered, falling asleep on top of her.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Need A Ride?

It was Tuesday morning, and the idea of having to get up and go to work after a long night's workout almost made them miss the thought of school. Arnold got off of Helga, having slept in the same position he passed out in all night long. Stretching his arms a moment as he sat on the edge of the bed, he heard his wife ask "So, what do you think you and normal looking you will be doing today?" Helga asked.

Arnold raised an eyebrow at her, as he replied "What do you mean, normal looking me?"

Shrugging her shoulders, she replied "Hey, you've both got blonde hair and green eyes. Only one of you has a head shape that's completely out of proportion. You two should apply for Evil Twin 5!"

"Whatever you say Helga." Arnold sighed as he headed for the kitchen. _It's too bad there's no one here to already have breakfast sitting on the table for us._

As he thought this to himself, Helga walked in behind him to reach for the cereal on top of the fridge.

"Don't you ever get tired of that stuff?" he couldn't help but ask her.

"Well doi! I mean it's not like I've been fixing it for myself every day since I was three! Sheesh!" she exclaimed as he shook his head at her wittiness.

"Why don't I make you some scrambled eggs?" he offered as she glanced at him moving closer.

"You don't have to do that. I'll be fine." she insisted, although that didn't stop him from making himself a plate.

Helga sat at the table, staring at her bowl, thinking about Arnold's words _What if you end up growing interested in Jason?_

Being lost in her thoughts, she hadn't noticed Arnold sitting down with his plate. "Are you okay Helga?"

"Huh? Oh yeah. I was just thinking about work." she insisted, hoping he would believe her.

"What are you going to be doing there today, do you think?" he asked as she continued stirring her cereal as opposed to eating it.

"Eh, I think she's just starting me off with some basic office assignments. Computer work, filing papers, organizing supplies, just to get an idea of how things work around there." she explained, not looking up at him.

"Sounds interesting." he replied as he watched her set her full bowl into the sink. "Yeah, well I should get going. Good luck with Good Twin." she smirked.

"So now my nickname has gone from football head to Evil Twin? By the end of the day, I'll have one for you." he warned her as she walked out rolling her eyes.

 _It's not like her to let me have the last word. I hope everything's okay._ He thought to himself, as he too began to grab his things and head for the door.

On his way out the door, he saw Sid and Stinky walking towards the arcade.

 _Guess they don't have to worry about a job since they still live with their parents. WAIT A MINUTE! I can ask if they have Helga's ring! But I can't be late for work? I guess I'll just have to wait until the day's over…_

Arnold thought to himself as he headed for the medical center. When he arrived, Jason wasn't waiting outside. _I guess he's already inside._

Meanwhile, Helga had decided to stop at The Donut Cafe.

"I'll have two large extra hot lattes and a box of double fudge doughnuts." Helga said to the cashier.

Standing there waiting, she thought to herself _Man I haven't even made it to the office and my boss already has me running errands for her! Work of an intern I suppose!_

"Here you are sweetie! Enjoy your day!" The cashier said, handing Helga the doughnuts and coffee.

"Uhh yeah, thanks." she replied, thinking to herself _Now I just gotta get this stuff the new few blocks without spillin' it!_

As she approached the door, she wondered _Crimity! Where am I going to get an extra set of hands?!_

No sooner had she thought that, she heard "Here, let me get that for you!"

"Oh thaaaa…." she began, until she saw who the door was being held by.

"Careful, wouldn't want to drop those." the boy said, as he saw Helga tempted to drop her doughnuts.

"Uhh yeah. Thanks." she whispered, finding her words.

When the two realized they were blocking the doorway, they stepped outside the cafe.

"You don't remember me do you?" he asked, as Helga continued to stare at him.

She wasn't sure if she should be honest and tell him not only was she married, but that he was working with her husband, or just act as though there was nothing to be concerned about. Maybe Phoebe had it all wrong? Maybe he didn't actually have feelings for her. They only spent one night together.

"Uhhh yeah, I do." she admitted, feeling her heart begin to pound.

A smile formed on his face as he added "I'm Jason, from the night we spent together at the Hillwood Homeless Shelter."

Her knees began to weaken as she thought to herself _Crimity, maybe I shouldn't have said anything!_

Kicking herself inside, she began to nod her head at his memory.

"I guess it doesn't matter now, but I was a little disappointed when I woke up and you weren't there beside me the next morning." he admitted, scratching the back of his head as sweat began to form on her face.

"Uhhh sor-sorry about that. I ki-kinda had someplace to be." she said, hoping he wouldn't be looking for further information.

"I see. I guess we both have someplace to be this morning to. I'm taking these doughnuts to the people I work with." Jason said as Helga looked down at her watch petrified.

"Oh Crimity! I'll never make it there in time!" she thought out loud to herself.

"Do you not have a car?" he asked as she began to blush. "Uhh no. I walk pretty much everywhere I go."

"Let me drive you!" he insisted as she nodded her head.

 _I'm just getting a ride to work. I'm not cheating on Arnold or doing anything to make me interested in Jason._

Stepping into the car, Jason said "So, where exactly did you need to be the next morning?"

Helga was petrified to make eye contact. Like Arnold said, the truth would come out eventually. Should they keep it a secret as long as possible though?

"I uhh. I mean well…" she began as Jason noticed her shaking.

He placed his hand on her leg to rub it, hoping it would calm her down. Instead, her eyes widened with fear as she thought to herself _Oh man, what's Arnold going to do when he finds out this guy's had his hands all over me!_

Forgetting about his question, she then looked out the window to see City Hall. "Well, this is my stop! Thanks again for the ride! See ya!" she exclaimed, jumping out of the car.

Jason watched her race away, thinking to himself _Maybe she just doesn't like me?_

Back at the medical center, Arnold was getting his things ready for what would be his first individual counseling.

"So, how does this work exactly?" he asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

Dr. Bliss placed a hand on his shoulder as she replied "We'll be sitting in their listening to one patient at a time describing whatever problem they may be dealing with at that point in their life. You'll do your best to show as much positive support as possible by giving your full attention to their story. Every once in awhile, you'll get a chance to give some advice on what you think could help them with a problem they may be experiencing."

As Arnold was listening to this, they heard the door opening behind them.

"Hello Jason. We were wondering when you would be making it here." Dr. Bliss said as she walked towards him to help with the doughnuts.

"I'm sorry it took longer than expected. A girl I ran into at the cafe needed a ride to work." he explained as Dr. Bliss smiled.

"That was very thoughtful of you! Now Jason, I can't have both you and Arnold in the room with the client with me together. Why don't you go over to the training room for the Group Counseling. Then when Arnold's session is over with this client, we'll switch." Dr. Bliss suggested as Arnold grew nervous about his first session.

Meanwhile, Helga was getting reacquainted with Mayor Dixie's office. "Here's your coffee. Hope you don't mind I picked up some doughnuts to go with it." Helga pointed out as Mayor Dixie smiled.

"Not at all. So, are you ready to get started?" she asked as Helga shrugged her shoulders. "I'm assuming I'll just be sorting and filing a bunch of random supplies according to that 'general office assignments' task."

"Well it's just to get you familiar with the area. You can't walk before you learn to crawl." she insisted as Helga rolled her eyes thinking to herself _Something tells me these next three months will be just as infuriating as the previous eight months!_

Helga's frustration with the time it would take to gain real power in her position was almost accurate to the anxiety Arnold felt from the pressure of giving the wrong advice to an innocent child.

"So, umm. It says here your name is Hilda and you're in 4th grade. What kind of things are you interested in?" he asked as could him his hands shaking around the notepad.

The girl sat with her legs crossed over the chair, glaring as she asked "What's it to ya?!"

Arnold's eyes widened at the sound of this. Looking over at Dr. Bliss, he had a facial expression that read _How do I respond to that?_

After not receiving more than a smile of encouragement from her, Arnold replied "I uhh just thought we could start by you telling me a little about yourself."

"Pttss...what's there to tell?" she scoffed as Arnold stared at her thinking to himself _I think I found Helga's twin._

"What types of things are you interested in?" he continued to try, hoping to reach her.

She crossed her arms, rolling her eyes as she replied "Sports, wrestling, comics, junk food… pretty much anything a 'normal' girl wouldn't be interested in."

Not knowing if he was stepping out of bounds by asking her this, he couldn't help but question "What do you mean by normal?"

Throwing her arms in the air, she exclaimed "What do you think I mean?! Makeup, jewelry, heels and all that other fancy smancy pants stuff girls do that you guys can't help but go gah gah over!"

Arnold began to take into consideration how much more noticable her cry for attention was after comparing her to Helga.

"You know Hilda, not all guys care about girls like that." Arnold smiled as he set aside his notepad.

"Pttss...how would you know?" she scoffed as Arnold sat there thinking to himself _Well it's not like I AM a guy?_

"You actually remind me a lot of my wife." he began to blush as she raised an eyebrow at him.

"Excuse me?"

"My wife is just like you. She's never cared about dressing up and has always enjoyed sports. She has a pretty rough exterior, but is actually the sweetest person I've ever known." Arnold explained as Hilda turned to blush.

"I'm sure you enjoy a lot feminine activities you're just not comfortable sharing with people." Arnold began to push her as she whipped her head around.

"Are you kidding? Don't be ridiculous?! What kind of feminine crap would I be interested in? I'm sittin' here in a pair of worn out jeans, a black shirt and tennis shoes as old as this building. What makes you think for a second I'd have any feminine qualities?!"

"Just because you don't enjoy dressing up or looking your best doesn't mean you're not the type of girl a guy would like. I'm sure you have plenty of interests." He began, forgetting Dr. Bliss was even in the room.

"Such as?" Hilda smirked.

"Well, there's listening to music, drawing pictures, writing about your feelings." Arnold listed these traits as Hilda's eyes widened.

Seeing her squeeze the edge of the chair, he asked "Do you like to write about your feelings?"

"Uhh no? Why would I need to write about my anger when I could just go find the person I'm angry at and scream it at them?!" she exclaimed.

Arnold was no longer nervous. It was as if he had been sitting there talking to his wife for what had almost been an hour.

"It doesn't have to be something you're angry about. My wife writes to express her sensitive side. You have to let your feelings out in one way or another." Arnold explained as Hilda rolled her eyes.

Arnold continued to smile at her until the two of them heard Dr. Bliss say "Well, we're out of time Hilda."

Feeling a bit disappointed, he reached out to shake her hand "It was nice to meet you Hilda."

Rather than shaking it, Hilda sneered "Yeah, yeah, see ya next time!"

Arnold stood up from the couch with his notepad he hadn't bothered to take any notes on. "So, how did you enjoy that?" Dr. Bliss asked while Arnold couldn't help but admit. "I actually felt like I was talking to Helga the entire time."

Although she didn't feel it was her place to give her opinion, Dr. Bliss knew exactly what he was talking about.

Meanwhile, Helga was sitting in Mayor Dixie's office organizing papers, trying not to think about what had happened that morning. _Crimity! What am I going to tell Arnold! Maybe it would be best just to tell Jason about us._

Her thoughts were then interrupted as Mayor Dixie walked in "So, how's it going in here?"

"Huh? Oh everything's fine! I think I've just about got everything organized." she pointed out as the Mayor said "That's great! Dino said you'd be a good recommendation!"

"Oh yeah, he and Arnold are pretty close I guess it's a good thing Arnold chose him to be the entertainment at our wedding. Not that I didn't still have to spend an unbearable eight months of planning out everything else for it." Helga said, placing the papers on the desk.

"What happened to your wedding ring?" Mayor Dixie couldn't help but ask, as she looked down at Helga's finger.

Helga held her finger, keeping silent as she thought to herself _What am I supposed to do? Tell the mayor I bet it away in an underaged beer chuggin' contest? That'll make me look good here!_

"I'm not sure. I just woke up one morning and it uhhh was gone. Hehe." Helga laughed, hoping she would too.

Placing a hand on Helga's shoulder, Mayor Dixie replied "Don't worry, I'm sure it'll turn up eventually."

Helga smiled as she continued holding her finger, thinking to herself _I hope things are going well for Arnold._

Arnold had just made his way towards the group counseling room when he saw Jason on his way out.

"Hey, how'd it go in there?" Arnold asked.

"Basically what we'll be doing is meeting with a small group of people once a week for an hour to discuss how they can improve self-esteem and coping skills." Jason explained as Arnold smiled. "Sounds great!"

Stopping him before he could enter the room, Jason asked "Oh, did you want me to show you that milkshake tonight?"

"Uhh…" Arnold thought to himself _I guess it doesn't matter. Helga and I both know about him. He seems nice enough to not try anything funny._

"Sure…" Arnold finished as Jason's eyes lit with anticipation. "Great! Should I just meet you outside after work?"

 _I was going to go find Sid and get Helga's ring back, but I guess I can do that another time._

"Yeah, that sounds good." Arnold replied as the two went their separate ways.

Arnold then took a seat in the room. It wasn't a normal classroom with tiny desks and hard wood chairs. Their were couches and cushioned seats where he listened to the teacher say to him and a few other interns that they would need to expect dealing with anxiety, depression, and other stress related issues. The thought of this made Arnold think of the issues he had always faced when it came to dealing with his grade school friends' dilemmas.

Then the counselor pointed out some great skills to benefit from this would be learning to communicate with others more comfortably, identifying inner feelings, being open and honest with one another, becoming sensitive, learning closeness and intimacy. This all made him think about the warm connection he had built with Helga.

After everything had been discussed, Arnold headed for the front door, nearly forgetting about Jason.

"Hey Arnold! Ready to make those shakes?" Jason asked as he saw approaching the doorway.

Arnold replied "Uhh I guess. What all do we need for them?"

Jason smiled as he said excitedly "Milk, vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup, and vanilla extract...and a couple straws to enjoy them!"

Arnold began to scratch his head as he replied "Oh well, I've only got chocolate ice cream at my house. I don't even know what vanilla extract is?"

Leading Arnold out the doorway, Jason explained "It's a solution made by macerating and percolating vanilla pods in a solution of ethanol and water."

Arnold nodded, pretending to understand while thinking to himself _Sounds like HE knows a thing or two about cooking._

"We can run by the store and grab some. You and your wife can never have too much ice cream either." Jason winked at him as Arnold gulped.

"Uhhh right. We can go to The Corner Store. It's not too far from my apartment." Arnold suggested, as the two headed to the store.

Meanwhile, Helga had just made it home from work. "Hey football head, ya home?" she called out, not receiving a response.

 _Crimity! How could a bunch of pesky kids keep him out this late two nights in a row! Guess I'll go microwave myself one of those 'oh so delicious' TV dinners!_

As she was leaning against the counter, thinking about how her dream job started had her starting off feeling more like an office clerk, Arnold and Jason made it to The Corner Store.

"If you've got the milk at home already, we won't need a basket. That is, unless you're one of those shoppers who walks in, says they're here for one thing, than makes it to the counter with fifty items in their arms?" Jason couldn't help but ask.

"I actually don't shop that much. Helga and I didn't move out until just a few days ago, so I never had a reason to." Arnold replied, not realizing the slip up he had just made.

"Helga?" Jason asked as he grabbed the extract, having only known one girl with that name.

Arnold saw the anticipation in his eyes. The look that cried _Please let it be who I think it is!_

With that, he thought to himself _Maybe I shouldn't be taking him back to the apartment._

"Uhh yeah…" he replied, not sure of where to go from there.

"I've only known one girl with that name. I met her at the homeless shelter." Jason explained as he and Arnold got in line together.

"What did she look like?" Arnold asked, trying to play along.

"Golden blonde hair, sapphire blue eyes, light pink lips, a unibrow. I asked her to get ice cream with me that night, but she was gone the next morning." he frowned as Arnold began to feel some sympathy forming.

"So, you never saw her again?"

"Believe it or not, I saw her this morning!" Jason's face lit up with excitement as Arnold's eyes lit with fear.

"What?! I mean what are the chances of that happening. Hehe." Arnold corrected himself, tugging at his shirt.

"I know! She needed a ride to work, so I dropped her off." Jason began as Arnold anxiously butted in.

"You mean she let you take her?! I..I..I mean that's cool." Arnold said, trying to remain calm as they set the groceries on the counter.

"Yeah but when I asked why she ran away that night, she kind of did the same thing this morning." Jason continued as he faced the cashier with his card.

"That's going to be $12.99" The cashier informed him as Arnold paid them no attention.

 _He obviously still has SOME type of interest in her. I don't know what made Helga give into the idea of riding to work with him, but I'm sure that didn't help decrease his interests in her._

"So, let's get this stuff back to your place and make those shakes!" Jason insisted as Arnold began to sweat.

"On second thought, do you think we could make them at my grandparents house?" he asked as Jason raised an eyebrow.

"Okay? I thought we were doing this for your wife though?" he pointed out as Arnold tried to think of a solution.

"Oh well...she's home and I just thought it would be cool to be able to surprise her one day this week and show her I could make one myself. Plus, I know how much my grandpa loves sweets."

"Well okay then. Where do your grandparents live?" Jason asked, letting Arnold lead the way.

"They actually live with my parents in the Sunset Arms Boarding House. It's not far from here." Arnold explained as Jason's face lit at the description.

"Oh yeah, I remember this eccentric kid from the homeless shelter who kept comparing the shelter's laundry room lint to the kind he said was back at the boarding house."

Arnold rolled his eyes as he saw no harm in letting out this secret. "Uhh yeah, that was my cousin Arnie. He had to live there a few months."

"Hmmm...come to think of it, Helga made us stay as far away as possible from that kid when we slept together. It's as if she knew him personally?" Jason thought back to the night as Arnold began to tense. He didn't know what was upsetting him more. How close Jason was to finding out about him and Helga or knowing about how Jason really felt about Helga.

"Yeah, well anyway, this is it." Arnold pointed out, not taking the time to consider knocking.

As Jason headed up the steps, Arnold exclaimed "WAIT!"

"What is it?" he asked nervously.

"A huge swarm of animals is going to fly out the door when we open it, so you'll want to stand back." Arnold insisted as Jason planted his feet behind Arnold. Once the door swung open, Jason watched the sea of animals go by. "Do they really take care of that many pets?!"

"It's not just my family. Other people live here to help take care of them." Arnold pointed out as he invited his coworker in.

Entering the kitchen, they saw Pookey. After seeing Pookey chopping watermelon, Arnold thought to himself _Maybe I should have warned him about the way things progress around here._

"Ah grasshopper! Where's Eleanor?" Pookey wondered as she saw Arnold entering the kitchen.

Jason gave a confused look as he asked Arnold "Who's Eleanor?"

Arnold began to blush as he tried to reply "Ohh...she uhh…"

Soon his mumbling was interrupted by "She's his wife! How ya doin' there shortman?!" Phil asked, entering the kitchen.

"Your wife? I thought your wife's name was Helga." Jason asked, trying to get his facts straight.

Arnold turned him to the side as he said "It is, my grandma's just got goofy nicknames for everyone. She has a bit of demensia."

"Pttss… 'a bit.' Way to be polite shortman! So whatcha boys got goin' on this afternoon?!" Phil insisted on knowing as Arnold realized he hadn't properly introduced them yet.

"Oh umm, grandpa this is Jason. We work together at the medical center. He's going to show me how to make a chocolate shake for Helga." Arnold explained as the two shook hands.

"Well okay. What's wrong with your kitchen? That Pataki character made quite a deal about the shiny penny he paid for that place!" Phil pointed out as Arnold rolled his eyes.

"I just wanted to surprise Helga after I learn how to make them myself." Arnold blushed.

"Hmm...well alright, but you're not leavin' without makin' me one!" Phil exclaimed

"Uhh right grandpa. Come on Jason. You can set the groceries on the table while I grab the blender." Arnold insisted

"Okay, you'll need some measuring cups and spoons as well." Jason pointed out as he began going through the drawers.

After getting everything they needed together, Jason couldn't help but ask "So, who's Pataki?"

Arnold whipped his head around to ask "Who's who?"

"Your grandpa said someone named Pataki couldn't stop bragging about the money he spent on your apartment." Jason reminded him as he measured the ingredients.

Leaning against the counter, Arnold felt sweat forming on his face. "Oh, uhh that's actually my wife's name." he admitted, hoping Helga had never revealed her last name to him.

"Helga Pataki? Dr. Bliss mentioned her. She said she was quite an astute child." Jason explained as Arnold looked away "Yeah, she's always been pretty smart."

"Now that we've got the ingredients measured, we simply dump them in the blender and stir for a few seconds." Jason demonstrated as Arnold couldn't help but smile.

"Do you have any glasses for us?" he asked as Arnold went to grab them. Before he could pull them out of the cabinet, his phone beeped.

"Who was it?" Jason couldn't help but ask.

"It's uhh my wife. She's wanting to know where I am. I guess I should have let her know I would be home late. I didn't really stop to think when I said we should come here instead." Arnold pointed out, as he got down the glasses.

"Well, we can give these to your grandparents. That way you can get home to her, and now you'll know how to make her one when you feel like it." Jason suggested.

"Sounds great. Let me take these to them then we can get going." Arnold said happily as he left to go find Phil.

"Hey shortman! Is that an extra large triple chocolate shake?!" Phil asked as Arnold rolled his eyes. "Did Helga teach you that?"

"She sure did! Now maybe you can teach her a thing or two about cookin'!" he exclaimed.

"Actually, I think we're going to take a cooking class together." Arnold said anxiously as Phil raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, it's your life."

Shaking his head, Arnold replied "See you later grandpa."

"See ya shortman!" Phil exclaimed.

When Arnold made it back to the kitchen, Jason was prepared to go. "So, are you just going to leave your ingredients here?"

"Well, I guess I could take the chocolate syrup and extract with me. I don't think the ice cream will last on the way home." Arnold thought out loud.

The two then exited the boarding house as Arnold said "Thanks for your help Jason. I'll see you at work tomorrow!"

"Sounds good!" he replied, heading in the opposite direction.

Arnold headed towards the apartment, wondering what all had gone on in the car between Jason and Helga. _Did he make her accept the ride? Did he do anything to make her feel uncomfortable during it?_

Making it home, Arnold opened the door to hear "Crimity! What is with this thing?!"

Rushing in, he asked "Helga? Is everything alright? What's going on?"

"I'm trying to sign us up for a freakin' cooking class on Saturday, but this stupid website won't let me! Sheesh!" she scowled as Arnold leaned over her.

"That's because it says it's full." he pointed out, hoping she wouldn't be too angry. Not because it was full, but because he had pointed out something so simple.

"Oh forget it! I'm too tired to care anyway!" she scowled, walking towards the couch.

"What happened? Was your day bad?" he asked as she leaned her head back against it.

"No, like I said, it was just going to be a bunch of stupid organizing tasks. Crawl before you walk according to her. Pttss...please!" she scoffed.

"Well it's true Helga. You can't expect to just march in there and be handed over a high powered position with no knowledge of it whatsoever. Everything worth doing is hard." Arnold assured her, as he sat beside her rubbing her leg. She leaned her head against him, letting out a deep sigh.

"So where were you? You never texted me back?" she asked as he stopped rubbing her leg.

"I was with...Jason." he said hesitantly as her eyes widened.

"Oh...doing what?" she wondered.

"I took him to the boarding house so he could show me how to make those milkshakes. At first I was going to bring him here. Then he said he saw the girl from the homeless shelter, this morning…" Arnold explained as Helga gulped.

"I uhh kind of needed a ride to work. The mayor decided to make coffee runs part of my imperative learning list!" she began as she crossed her arms, looking the other way.

"So he just dropped you off when he saw you were going to be late? He didn't 'do' anything to you?" Arnold felt nervous for asking. He knew how both rough and sensitive she was.

Turning slowly towards him, Helga admitted "He might have placed his hand on my thigh when he saw how nervous I was. I don't know what made him think a stranger inappropriately touching you would suddenly put your mind at ease? Sheesh!"

Arnold began to rub her leg again as he replied "I think I know something that will make you feel better."

Turning to see him pull their chocolate ice cream out of the freezer, her face began to melt.

 _Oh Arnold my love! Each day you prove your love to me by finding a new gesture. No matter how small the size of it, the meaning behind it is excuisit!_

Her thoughts were then interrupted by "Uhh I guess I won't need this vanilla extract if it's chocolate ice cream? Then again, we were using vanilla ice cream earlier to make a chocolate shake?" Arnold turned to think as Helga rolled her eyes, heading into the kitchen.

"Oh crimity! What is this you're using?" she scowled.

"It's uhh vanilla extract." he pointed out as she cocked her brow. "Vanilla what now?"

"Extract. They're like some form of vanilla pods." he hoped to be clear, rubbing his neck.

"And why would we need that if it's a CHOCOLATE shake?" she pointed out, while he stood unable to come up with a logical explanation.

"The syrup turns it into a chocolate shake."

"Arnold, if I wanted fake chocolate, I'd just dump a bowl of vanilla ice cream into a bowl and drizzle the syrup on top of it." she scoffed.

"Well, that's how Jason said to make it!" he snapped, not meaning to sound so offended.

"And what is he? Mr. Chef Boyardee? Gimme a break!" she scoffed as she pulled out their new blender. One of their lovely wedding shower presents, which to Helga's dismay, had been all cooking attire.

"Step back extract boy! Hand over the ice cream!" she demanded as he rolled his eyes. "How am I supposed to hand you something if I'm being told to step back?"

"Zip it hairboy! Or you're not gettin' a shake!" she scowled as she scooped the creamy chocolate dessert into the blender.

After the milk was added, she saw Arnold reaching for the lid to place on the blender. Grabbing his hand, she snapped "Aren't you forgetting something?"

"Umm no? What is it?" he asked as he saw her begin to add the chocolate syrup.

"Helga, it's chocolate ice cream. What do you need that for?" he couldn't help but ask as she smirked "Pttss...why do you think they call them TRIPLE chocolate shakes, Arnoldo?!"

Shaking his head at her, he replied "Whatever you say Helga."

Once their ingredients were mixed, Helga wasted no time grabbing the glasses. "Oh man, it's too bad no one at that wedding shower gave us a box of straws to go with that monstrous mess of kitchen appliances!"

Turning around with their glasses, she saw her beloved holding a pair of straws in front of her. "You can thank Jason." he hated to admit, but was also just happy to see her happy.

"Pttss...thank him for what? Making you come home late? Yeah right!" she scoffed, anxiously placing her straw into her chocolate treat.

Arnold sat a moment to think about her question _Thank him for what?_

"Hey football head! I'm at the bottom of my shake and you're just eyeing yours like its inedible!" she scowled as her laughing voice at last got his attention.

"Huh? Oh sorry Helga. I was just thinking…" he began as she finished his sentenced

"Thinking about how pointless it was to go to that joker for chocolate shake making advice when you live with the queen of them!"

"Actually, I was thinking you do actually have a lot to thank him for." he admitted as she cocked her brow.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, he made you feel comfortable at the homeless shelter, he gave you a ride to work, and he took the time to show me how to make a shake for you...even though you kind of ended up being the one to make it for me." he explained as he began to scratch the back of his head. Dropping his eyes to the counter, not ready to meet her sure to be angry ones.

Not having received a response, Arnold looked up to see Helga had walked over to the sink to put her glass away.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you." he said, placing his hand on her shoulder.

"Really? Because it sounds now like not only are you friends with him, but I should 'appreciate' the fact that you are?! After you made me feel like crap for doing what you're always ranting on about me needing to do...being honest with you! Tell me, did YOU steal my ring to propose to his sorry ass with?" she scowled as Arnold grabbed her hand.

"Helga, I'm sorry! Just thinking about those things he did for you made me think about…." Arnold paused when he realized _exactly_ what they made him think about.

"Think about WHAT footba…" she started to scowl, but was interrupted. Pulling her head against his tight, pressing their noses together firmly Helga stood there wondering what he could have gotten so worked up about.

 _It was just nice Jason did those things for her because someone was taking care of her. That someone wasn't me though! I can't let that happen!_ Arnold thought to himself as he pulled her in tighter.

Breathing heavily against her, the force behind his jealousy lead him to shove her against the fridge.

"Crim..." she began to let out, unable to finish with his tongue wrapped around hers. Moving his hands from her hand to her waist, he pressed their parts together. Rubbing harder as he grew angrier at the idea of having her thank him for doing his job.

When Arnold's rage began to fade he noticed Helga shaking. Releasing her tongue, he said "I'm sorry about that."

Watching her breathe heavily, unresponsive, as she continued staring with her sapphire eyes, he explained "I thought it was nice he was taking care of you. Then I was again reminded of how jealous I feel when anyone other than me does it."

Rolling her eyes at his pleading ones, she replied. "You just can't accept that you have a rough side can you?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, holding her against the fridge.

"It means hairboy, that everytime you feel the need to stand up for yourself, you think about your opponent! How badly will my actions affect them. News flash Arnoldo! They're your opponent! You're actions are SUPPOSED to affect them….BADLY! Instead, you were asking me AKA your WIFE to APPRECIATE what your opponent may do for/TO me?! Sheesh!" she exclaimed as he took in her words.

Kissing her softly, leaving his lips against hers, he whispered "Speaking of opponents, I found your twin today."

Cocking her brow at him, she asked "So, am I the good or the evil one?"

Turning his head to think a moment, he replied "I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know? Need me to grab ya a dictionary and define the differences between what a good and bad person would do?" she scoffed

"I don't know because you two seemed like the same person. Not because of the way you looked, but the way you acted." he explained as Helga smirked "She have and alcoholic mom and a money grubbin' dad, too?"

"I don't know? We didn't really talk about her family." he shrugged while the two headed for the bedroom.

"What did you talk about then? Helga smirked.

"She told me she's not interested in anything feminine, and enjoys outdoor activities. Although she wouldn't admit it, something tells me she expresses herself through writing." Arnold smiled, as he got undressed and into bed, waiting for his wife to join him.

"Eh it's possible." Helga shrugged her shoulders, sliding under the covers. Not facing Arnold, she could feel his eyes beating down on her. Turning to face him, finding an enticing smile spread across his face, she listened to him say "You of all people know it is."

Kissing her good night, with his arms wrapped around her, his face pressed gently beside her, Helga felt the comfort she knew could only come from Arnold trying to take care of her. It took their whole lives to get her to open up. When she finally did, the comfort she felt showing it with him was as amazing as knowing her love for him was requited.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: CRASH!

The two awoke the next morning, resting in one another's arms. Arnold glanced at what appeared to be his smiling wife, still holding him tight. _I wish I could bring her to work with me… I suppose she was there with me yesterday however,_ he thought to himself.

"Helga, it's time to wake up." he said, trying to sit up, not having the easiest time undoing her grip around him.

"Come on, I'll make you some breakfast! Maybe we can do something after work together?" he suggested as she sat up to yawn.

"Okay, but Mayor Dixie's got me learning some fancy program planning thing or other. I don't know how long it'll take." she warned him, as he began running his fingers through her hair.

"I'm sure President Pataki can handle it." he replied. Hearing the sound of her maiden name reminded her she still hadn't found her wedding ring.

 _What could those idiot classmates of ours done with it?!_ She thought to herself as she stood up from the bed to grad her red skirt and jacket.

Looking over at Arnold getting dressed, she wondered if maybe she should take a rain check on their fun afternoon, and use this as an opportunity to go searching for the ring.

"Actually Arnold, I know for a fact I'll be home late tonight." Helga gulped as he raised an eyebrow at her.

"Why is that? What does she have you doing?" he asked.

"Oh you know, she just wants to make sure I understand everything new she's teaching me. Hehe." Helga blushed as she yanked at her collar.

Arnold frowned at the idea of once again having little time to spend together cancelled. "Well, alright then. I guess I'll see you around dinner."

The two of them headed silently into the kitchen to make breakfast. When Arnold saw her reaching for the Sugar Chunk cereal, he said "I said I would MAKE you something, Helga."

After grabbing the box, and the milk she turned to scowl "Hey! What's it look like I'm doing with this? I'm shakin' the box, I'm pourin' the milk, I'm adding a spoon on top of it? Sheesh!"

Shaking his head at her negative remark, he replied "Don't you think you'll need more energy for the important job you're at? I mean, you did say you'd be there late."

"That's why they invented a little thing called lunch Arnoldo!" she scoffed, taking a seat at the kitchen table.

"Whatever you say Helga." Arnold replied, as he searched through the freezer for some microwavable pancakes.

When Helga saw him placing them in the microwave, she couldn't help but give her opinion. "Again, it's not considered cooking if the microwave's involved dingus!"

Leaning against the counter, waiting for the ding, Arnold gave a look of disappointment. "Are you okay? I mean, I'm used to your, uhhh creative opinions, but you just seem angry?"

"I'm fine! I don't know when I'll be home. See ya." she scowled, heading out the door, not looking back.

The microwave dinged just as she slammed the door. Arnold stood there thinking to himself, _I wish she would have at least said goodbye to me."_

When Helga made it to the street, tears began to stream from her face as she looked down at her finger.

 _I'm such an idiot! Why did I have to get so worked up about this? Oh Arnold my love, surely you can continue to be patient with me. Continue to look past my rough exterior; knowing every harsh word flowing from my lips is merely a guise. A cover for a much deeper problem that pertains to my love for you!_

Helga began to head for work, ashamed with herself for the scene she had caused. Every step she took towards the office felt like a step away from her rock solid relationship with her beloved.

Meanwhile, Arnold had just finished breakfast and was making his way out the door. There he saw his best friend waiting for him.

"Gerald? What are you doing here?" he asked, shocked by the sudden appearance of his friend.

Crossing his arms, Gerald replied "That's a funny way to greet your best friend, but I forgive you."

"I'm... I'm sorry. You just kind of startled me." Arnold said, rubbing his neck.

"Uh huh? I just came by because I haven't heard from you much recently. Something been goin' on that you're not telling me about?" he insisted on knowing as Arnold sighed.

"Well, I did have plans with Helga tonight, but she cancelled on me at the last minute. If you want you can meet me here and we can do something. I should be home by five." Arnold offered as Gerald smiled "Alright. Sounds cool buddy!"

After doing their secret handshake, the two part, while Arnold thought to himself _I wonder if Helga's really working late, or just hiding something from me?_

While he was pondering this, Helga had just made it to City Hall. Walking into Mayor Dixie's office.

"Good morning Helga. How are you today?" Mayor Dixie asked, as Helga shrugged her shoulders "Eh, same as yesterday. So, we gonna start that program planning today?"

Mayor Dixie gave a questioning look as she replied "It's much too soon for that. We'll get into that next week. This week, we're just going to focus on getting familiar with the office. That way, you'll always know where something is when you need it."

Helga did her best not to roll her eyes. Although she couldn't help but think to herself _Man, at this rate, why not skip college and just apply for a stupid secretary job at freakin' P.S. 118!_

It was then that Arnold had made it to the medical center. Staring at the ground with troubling thoughts going through his mind, he heard "Hey Arnold!"

As he looked up, he saw Jason eager to see him. "Oh hey Jason, what's up?"

"Just ready for another fun day at work! So, is Helga happy to know you can make her a shake now?" Jason asked, wrapping his arm around Arnold's shoulder.

Arnold wasn't too comfortable with the idea of his wife's crush getting so close with him. Just the thought of that made his unwanted rage begin to build up inside. After taking a deep breath, he replied "Actually, she made me one when I got home."

Lifting an eyebrow as he removed his arm, Jason asked "So, she already knew how? I thought you left the ice cream back at your grandparents?"

"Well, she likes hers pretty sweet, so she used the chocolate ice cream we already had...and then added the syrup to go with it." Arnold rubbed his neck as Jason replied "Yeah, I guess there are a few different ways to make a chocolate shake. Like you said, it all depends on how sweet the person is." he said winking at Arnold.

The two walked inside the building, wondering what new people they would be meeting that day.

 _I wonder if I'll meet anymore kids who remind me of my friends?_ Arnold thought to himself.

They then opened the door to Dr. Bliss' office, where they saw her standing and waiting for them.

"Good morning Dr. Bliss! Do you have more new patients for us to meet with today?" Jason asked anxiously.

"Actually boys, I was thinking last night, and I realized I may have done things a bit out of order yesterday." she sponded as Arnold gave a questioning look "What do you mean?"

"Well, while I gave you the correct information pertaining to what we'll be going over this summer, I don't feel I should have let you start meeting with clients as early as I did." she replied as Jason gave a disappointed look. "Did we do something wrong?"

"Not at all! I just feel the two of you should go through our training seminars and staff meetings before putting the knowledge about this business to work on actual clients. Therefore, I'd like you to take the next few days reading this manual on our training program." she suggested, while handing them each a book entitled 'Psychology Today.'

"Come back Monday and we'll start our weekly training! Enjoy the rest of your week!" Dr. Bliss said happily while Jason left feeling a bit disappointed.

"Why do you look so upset?" Arnold asked.

"I was just looking forward to this. I've always loved helping people, and doing whatever I can to make them feel better. I guess because of all the time I had to spend in that homeless shelter." he replied until Arnold couldn't help but ask "How did you get the money to move out?"

"A friend took me in. I promised him I'd start paying him back when I could. I guess that won't be happening any time soon." Jason sighed as Arnold gave a week smile.

"Hey, we're going back on Monday. Just take the next few days to go over this like she said." While Arnold said these encouraging words to Jason, it reminded him of the time he spent reminded Helga the previous night that everything worth doing was hard.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I guess everything worth doing is hard." Jason then responded as a concerned look came to Arnold's face _Did I just say that out loud?_

"So, where does your wife work?" Jason asked randomly as Arnold's eyes widened. _Should I tell him? Am I passing out too much information?_

"She's uhh doing an internship for the mayor." he admitted, having trouble making eye contact.

"Wow! That's impressive. Is that her dream job?" Jason couldn't help but wonder.

"Actually, her dream job is to become president. I know a lot of people fantasize about that, but I believe she is smart enough and has the potential to do it." he admitted, forgetting a moment about Jason's interest in her.

"That Helga girl I told you about at the shelter drew president as her position in the management group. She was pretty nervous though." Jason explained as Arnold thought back to the morning Helga explained what had happened.

 _Without you on my mind, I had nothing to motivate me. You inspired both sides of me, my passionate and dominate._

Shaking his head at the idea of being the inspiration behind her reputation, Arnold replied "Maybe she was just having a rough night. I'm sure she'd know what to do if the moment was actually there."

"Maybe, so is there anything you'd like to do, since we've go the next few days off?" Jason asked.

Arnold hated the idea of ditching someone, but they had already spent their morning discussing what Jason thought were two different Helga's. He didn't know how much longer he could keep up the act.

"Actually, I told another friend I would meet up with them. I haven't been doing a good job keeping in touch. I didn't realize how busy this internship would be keeping me this summer." Arnold admitted.

"Just imagine what it'll be like when school starts!" Jason pointed out, waving goodbye to him.

Arnold stood there a moment not having considered that. _It's only been a few days and I already don't like the time Helga and I are spending apart. We don't even get to have lunch together! I guess I'm just over-reacting. This is what married couples do. Spend the day apart at work, then come home for dinner together._

Meanwhile, Helga was sitting in the office organizing documents…

Informational Pages

Laws Bills and Policies

Meeting Materials

Plans and Reports

Printed Forms and Templates

"Crimity! How am I supposed to know which stack this junk goes into? Aren't I supposed to have my own assistant for that?!" she scowl until she suddenly heard…

"I think technically, YOU are THEIR assistant until you get the hand of this stuff."

Helga turned around to see her husband standing in the doorway. "Arnold!" she exclaimed. Not caring she had almost knock over what she HAD organized off of the desk, she ran over to hug him.

"So, I guess they've still got you organizing things?" he guessed, scratching his head.

"Pttss...what's it look like?" she scoffed, quickly losing her innocent attitude.

"Well, at least you get a nice office to work in. That has to make you feel 'powerful.'" he laughed, feeling proud of his joke.

"Oh what do you know football head?!" she scowled, trying to push him away from her.

"I know I missed you, and was hoping you'd have time to go to lunch with me?" he asked hopefully, looking at her with pleading eyes.

"Won't you be late getting back to work? I mean, our jobs aren't exactly nextdoor to each other." she smirked.

"Actually, Dr. Bliss told Jason and I to come back Monday." Arnold began as Helga cocked her brow.

"She said she didn't like how early she started giving us actual clients to work with."

"Guess she felt Helga Jr. was too much for you to handle!" Helga exclaimed as Arnold rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, we're supposed to look over this book she gave us, then start training seminars next week."

"So, you're saying she had you work with clients before teaching you how to do it? So much for your 'Crawl before you walk' theory!" Helga smirked as he rolled his eyes at her.

"I think the fact that she realized her mistake shows it's a legitimate theory." he replied.

"Pttss...whatever. So, where'd you want to eat?" Helga asked with her hands on her hips.

"Uhh there's that new 'What-A-Burger place." Arnold suggested.

"What A What Now?" she asked, cocking her brow.

"It's just a burger joint. I passed it on the way over here, if you'd like to try it out?" he suggested, holding his hand out for her.

"Eh, why not? Just let me tell M.D. I'm leaving for a bit." she said as he asked "Who's M.D.?"

Glaring at him, she replied "Uhh Mayor Dixie? Sheesh, you better never run for office!"

"Whatever you say Helga."

Waiting for her to return, he received a text message…

"Hey Arnold! We still hanging out tonight?

"Sure."

"Good...because I've got something to tell you."

"Okay"

Hanging up his phone, wondering what it could be, Helga reentered the room. "Okay football head, let's get going.

"Uhh right." he said, quickly putting away his phone, to take her hand in his.

"So, I'm guessing that was Geraldo?" she asked.

"Yeah, he says he has something to tell me." Arnold admitted, wondering if it could be that someone had found Helga's ring.

"Is it that he's getting a comb over?" she smirked.

"I'm not sure. I hope everything's okay." he said, as the two continued walking down the street holding hands. Helga was no longer insecure about showing her relationship with Arnold, but rather who might steal him from her.

"Whatever. Is that you What A Joint place?" she asked, pointing to a small red and white building with a drive thru window.

"Yeah, let's go!" he exclaimed, dragging her inside. Not thinking about the fact that she was wearing heels.

"Sheesh Arnoldo! I'm still getting used to these new shoes! I can't believe how girlish I just sounded saying that." she rolled her eyes, as he let go of her hand.

"Oh, sorry Helga. So, what would you like to…." before he could finish, he turned see Helga running off.

"Helga? Helga? Hel...Jason!" Arnold exclaimed, as he saw his coworker inside the burger joint.

"Hey Arnold! What are you doing here? I thought you had plans with a friend?" he asked.

"Oh um I do. I just thought I'd grab a bite to eat first. What about you? Do you live around here?" he wondered.

"No, I'm actually taking my friend I live with his lunch. He works in City Hall." Jason replied as Arnold's eyes widened.

"Really? What's he do over there? Arnold asked; partly curious, mostly trying to keep his cool.

"He works in the lawfield area. He…" Jason began explaining when suddenly a noise came from the other direction.

CRASH!

He and Arnold turned their heads to see Helga had fallen from behind a trash can. She had been listening in on the conversation, hoping not to be seen. "Crimity! Stupid heels!"

Her anger was suddenly interrupted, when she heard "Helga? What are you doing here?"

"Jason?! I uhh I...just came to get some lunch. Hehe." she replied, sweat pouring down her face.

"I wish I had known you needed one, I would have offered to bring you some food. Next time I'll stop by your office to ask." Jason smiled as Arnold thought about the idea of someone else taking care of her.

He began to clench his fists as he replied "NO!"

Both Helga and Jason looked over at Arnold as he began to blush. "I mean, that's not necessary."

"Why not? She needs to eat, and I was stopping by here anyway?" Jason asked, not sure why Arnold had a problem with it.

"Because...Because…" Arnold began, until he was interrupted.

"Because I'm his wife! There Crimity! I'm Helga G. Pataki! The girl you met at the shelter is the same girl he married. Now can we move on with our lives? Sheesh!" she exclaimed.

Jason revealed a look of disappointment in his eyes as he responded "Oh...Well I guess that explains why you were so anxious to leave when I dropped you off at work."

"Uhh yeah, sorry about that. It just didn't feel right." she explained, rubbing her neck.

"You could have told me you were married. It's not like we were ever together to begin with." he pointed out.

Helga rolled her eyes as she replied "Yeah, well one of my friends said she heard you talking at Slausen's about how sad you were when I was gone the next morning at the homeless shelter."

"True. I wish you had stuck around, but you're married. There's nothing I can do about that. Well I'll see you guys later." Jason said, walking out with his food.

As they watched him leave, Helga shrugged her shoulders saying to Arnold "Hmm, well that was easy."

Arnold took her hand in his. Rubbing it he thought to himself _a little too easy…_

After lunch, the two began walking back to City Hall. While Helga's mind was at peace about everything except having to get back to organizing those files, Arnold was still tense about Jason.

 _He's been fixated on her since that one night they spent together. Then he just agrees to forget about her?_

"Well, here we are Arnoldo. See you around five!" she said, as Arnold stopped her. "I thought you said you'd be home late tonight?"

Helga's mind froze. Her concern with the ring had decreased as the day moved one. "Oh umm. I've gotten pretty far with those papers. I should be home on time."

"Okay. Well, Gerald needs to meet me for something, so I maybe a little late getting home." he admitted, rubbing his neck.

Rolling her eyes, she replied "Fine! But you better cook something special for dinner!"

"I offered to make you breakfast this morning and you wouldn't let me?" he pointed out as she smirked "Ooohhh microwavable pancakes! You're a real Martha Stuart!"

"Whatever you say Helga." he sighed, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

Walking out the door Arnold passed Jason. _I wonder if I should see if he's okay?_

As Jason reached for the front door, he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Huh? Oh hey Arnold!"

"Hey Jason. I just wanted to make sure you were alright." he asked, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Jason wondered, trying to hide his emotions.

"I just feel like we should have told you sooner. If you found out you were working with the husband of the girl who had been on your mind for the past several months, I just thought it might create a bit of drama." Arnold replied, feeling once again guilty for perhaps hurting his opponent.

"I can see how you would think that, but it's best to relinquish your feelings. Bottling them up can cause stress which can lead to all sorts of dramatic scenes. I believe that book Dr. Bliss gave us mentions something about that." Jason passed off a weak smile as he and Arnold headed home.

Making it home around two, Arnold thought to himself _I wonder if it's too early to invite Gerald over? I guess I could go ahead and text him._

"Hey Gerald. Do you want to come over now?"

"I thought you were working 'til five?"

"I'll explain later. Do you want to come over?"

"Sure man. I'm on my way."

"See ya soon."

"See ya."

Arnold walked inside his apartment to find the milk had been left sitting out on the table. Both he and Helga were too distracted with what to have for breakfast that morning to care about how good a job they did with it.

As Arnold dumped it into the sink, he thought to himself _Maybe I'll see if there are any cooking classes available while I wait for Gerald to arrive?_

Sitting at the computer, clicking page by page, reading "Full...Full...Full…" he thought to himself _Well, there's an upside to all this...Helga and I aren't the only ones in town who have to use the microwave for everything!_

His thoughts were then interrupted by KNOCK- KNOCK - KNOCK!

Arnold went to grab the door, seeing his best friend standing there. "Hey man, what's up?"

"Not much. Just trying to find a cooking class for me and Helga." he admitted, closing the door behind his friend.

"Cooking? Man, I just pictured you two ordering takeout every night. I mean no offense man, but Helga G. Pataki's no housewife, and the guy shouldn't have to be one either." Gerald said, raising an eyebrow with his hands on his waist.

"Uhhh yeah. Anyway, what did you need to tell me." Arnold asked, as he and Gerald sat down on the couch together.

"Look buddy, you remember Matt? The guy Helga socked for you!" Gerald bluntly reminded him as Arnold rolled his eyes at the thought of her being the one to defend him.

"Yeah, what about him?" he asked, shrugging his shoulders.

"He's back!" Gerald exclaimed as Arnold raised an eyebrow "So what?"

"I overheard him talking at the arcade. He's still pretty mad at you! I'd say get yourself some protection, but that's kind of the reason you're in this mess." Gerald couldn't help but laugh.

"What mess? Has he threatened to do something?" Arnold's eyes widened.

"Not yet, but you know a full year hasn't passed yet since you and Pataki pulled a fast one on him. Which means he does still have the right to sue you." Gerald pointed out as Arnold stood from the couch.

"We did not 'pull a fast one' on him! We were defending ourselves!" Arnold exclaimed, setting his hands on his hips.

"Relax man, I know. As long as she's in the law firm though, you may want to look into a way to prepare yourself for such an event occuring." Gerald suggest as he stood from the couch, placing a hand on Arnold's shoulder.

"Alright, thanks." Arnold sighed

"So, did you want to do something? Or do you have a date with the kitchen?" Gerald asked, watching his best friend roll his eyes.

"I guess I've got time to kill before Helga gets home." he replied as Gerald frowned. "Time to kill? Great way to describe hanging with your best buddy!"

"Whatever you say Gerald."

Making it outside the apartment, Gerald wasted no time asking "So, what are we going to do?"

"Well, I have been meaning to find Sid." Arnold admitted.

"Sid? What for?" Gerald asked, curiously.

Knowing his friend wouldn't like the answer, Arnold replied "I just thought he might still have Helga's ring. That or at least know what happened to it."

"Mm.. ! Arnold, what is the big deal? Is that thing actually a tracking device to another hidden city?! Why can't you just get her a new one if it's that important to the two of you? I mean heck, she was willing to let you give her a cheap piece of plastic to propose to her with! Why is not having one suddenly the end of your relationship?!" Gerald exclaimed.

"Look Gerald, you know how hard those eight months before the wedding were for her." he began as Gerald interrupted.

"For HER? Man you made me your own wedding coordinator. Helping you with all those calls and checking in with people!"

Rolling his eyes, Arnold continued "Anyway, the wedding just made her feel like things were finally...final between us. Like even though we'd still obviously have troubles during our marriage, nothing could tear us apart. Then losing that ring just made her feel like things weren't finalized anymore. Anything could break us apart."

"She does realize if that was the way marriage worked, all she had to do was slap/glue a ring on you when you weren't looking in grade school." Gerald said wittingly.

"Like I said, she's a sensitive person." he replied, growing frustrated at the thought of never finding it.

"If your feelings for each other are that fragile, maybe you shouldn't be together? I mean, does it bother YOU that she doesn't have it?" Gerald asked as Arnold stopped to think a moment.

 _Even if she was wearing, I would still hate the idea of another guy touching her, or doing anything for her…_

"It wouldn't change the jealousy I feel when I see other guys around her." he admitted as his friend rolled his eyes.

"Sounds like you two just don't trust the other one loves you enough to never betray you. You love her, but she has a hard time believing you could after the way she treated you. She loves you, but thanks to that 'split personality' of hers, you have a hard time reading her….can't say I blame you." Gerald pointed out as Arnold took in his words.

"You're right. Guess all we can do is stick together." Arnold sighed as the two continued walking down the street.

Passing an old restaurant, Gerald pointed "Mm.. ! I cannot believe anyone would eat pancakes and halibit!"

Arnold's eyes lit up, remembering Sid's interest in them. "Hey, let's go inside!"

"What for? I don't plan on eating them?" Gerald assured him.

"Sid could be in there! Arnold pointed out.

"Man, did you listen to ANYTHING I just told you?!" his friend asked, shaking his head.

Come on! Let's go see!" Arnold exclaimed.

"Do I have a choice?" Gerald asked wittingly, slowly following.

Entering the restaurant, the first thing Gerald did was cover his nose. "Man! Why would anyone eat here?!"

Arnold paid no attention to the aroma, as he continued searching for their friend.

"Hey! I see him!" Arnold ran over to the other side of the restaurant while Gerald was tempted to step outside.

"Hey Sid! Mind if we sit with you?" Arnold anxiously invited himself, while Sid replied "Sure. What's up?"

Arnold began to rub his neck, not sure of how to ask his question. Sid, along with the rest of their friends, wasn't exactly sober that night. Would he even know what Arnold was talking about?

"So Sid, what all do you remember about the party this past weekend?"

Watching their friend take a bite of his fish filled cakes, Gerald did his best to keep a straight face.

"Well, I remember Harold threw up on your floor after Helga creamed him in Beer Pong." Sid said, taking a sip of his Yahoo.

Arnold rolled his eyes at the thought of the night ending with Harold spending half an hour vomiting in his bathroom.

"Right. Is that all you remember?" he asked, while Gerald frowned at the idea of him dancing around the topic as opposed to getting to the point.

"I think I heard Rhonda complaining about the drinks you had there when she was in the kitchen with some of the girls." he continued as Gerald butted in "They weren't as bad as the food is here."

Sighing at the pointless information being passed around, Arnold asked "So, is that it? You don't remember playing any games with anyone?"

"Well…" Sid began as he leaned his head back to think. By that point, Gerald had had enough of the unpleasant atmosphere he was being forced to take in.

"Man Arnold! Will you just ask him already? For the sake of both our noses?!"

"Ask me what?" Sid wondered, pushing his plate aside, closer to Gerald.

"Look Sid. I don't know if you remember, but you and Stinky challenged Helga to a beer chuggin' contest at the party. If you finished first, you got to keep her engagement ring. By the end of it, she was too drunk to realize she didn't have to hand it over after she beat you." he explained as Gerald shook his head.

"Well I do remember looking at something with Stinky on the way home. It might have been a coin though." he admitted as Arnold rolled his eyes.

"Next thing I knew, I woke up with a pounding headache." he admtted as Gerald interrupted "Was it from these fish cakes?"

"So, you didn't have the ring when you woke up?" Arnold asked disappointedly.

Shaking his head, he replied "Sorry Arnold. Stinky might know what happened to it."

Getting up from the table, Arnold sighed as he replied "Well thanks Sid. See ya later."

"See ya Arnold."

Gerald had never been so happy to leave a food industry as the two of them walked outside. "Phew! Next time, you're doing that alone!"

"Well, it's getting late. I should be getting home. Later Gerald" Arnold informed him as the two did their secret handshake.

"Later man."

Arnold made it home to find Helga laying on the couch watching T.V. Out of her business suit and in a white tank top with pink sweatpants.

Not taking her eyes off the T.V. she said, "Hey football head, how's it going?"

Walking over to sit beside her, he replied "Pretty good. How was the rest of your day?"

"Eh, not bad. Like I said, I got a jump on those papers before you came, so it didn't take too long to finish." she replied, shrugging her shoulders.

Watching her relaxing peacefully in front of the T.V. after a hard day of work, he wondered if it would be the right time to bring up Matt. His thought was then interrupted by…

"So, what did Geraldo end up needing you for?"

Arnold began to rub her thigh as she laid there waiting for an answer. The longer he took, the more annoyed her look became.

Gulping at her, he replied "He..uh..wanted to tell me Matt is back."

Cocking her brow at him, she replied "Matt? You mean that loser who felt me up and called you short?"

Sighing deeply, he continued to rub her leg as he said "Yeah, that's him."

"Okay, so why should we be concerned?" she wondered as he began to scratch his head.

"Because Gerald overheard him talking and apparently he's still looking for a chance to get back at us." Arnold pointed out as Helga began to sit up.

"No one gets back at Helga G. Pataki! I'll suckerpunch him again if he tries anything else funny!"

"It's not that simple Helga. He does have the right to sue us. At least for a few more months, he has that right." he explained as she shrugged her shoulders.

"So what do you expect us to do? Make some magical remote to fast forward a few months into the future?!" she exclaimed.

"Gerald suggested since you're working in the law firm, maybe you could look up what we'll need to do to prepare ourselves in case he does try anything like that. I mean, you're there anyway. What's the harm?" Arnold pointed out as Helga leaned back on the couch.

"UHHH Crimity! We haven't even had this place a full week, and things are more hectic than ever!" she exclaimed as Arnold bent over, running his fingers through her hair.

"I promise everything will be okay." he assured her as she looked away. "Yeah, how do you figure?"

"Because we're together. I love you no matter how hectic things get and I hope you believe that." he whispered, bending down further, pressing their noses together.

"I.." she began as he placed his lips on hers. Suddenly, they heard a ding.

Arnold sat up to let Helga grab what turned out to be popcorn from the microwave. "So much for 'no microwavable dinners." he reminded her as she whipped her head around. "HEY! This is not dinner! And it's not MY fault I made it home before you did!"

"Whatever you say Helga." he said shaking his head, walking closer to her.

Wrapping his arms around her waist as she ate her popcorn, he asked "What would you like me to make you?"

Her heart began to melt at the thought of him still wanting to do something so sweet after she had been so hostile about it.

 _Oh Arnold! Never willing to let anyone or anything stand in the way of you being my sole provider. My protector; my nurturer!_

"Uhhh you don't have to do that Arnold. This is fine." she insisted as he watched her shove a handful of popcorn into her mouth.

Rolling his eyes as he grabbed a microwave dinner from the freezer, he replied "Helga, I'm not letting that be your dinner. You can at least eat this."

"Pttss...I could have done that myself!" she exclaimed as he glared "Yeah, but you didn't."

Seeing the angry look in her eyes still didn't make him regret his comeback.

"What are you laughing at geek bait?!"

"By calling me geek bait, you're saying I attract geeks. Seeing as how we're married, that's more of a shot at you, wouldn't you say?" he asked, walking closer to her.

"Oh shut up Arnoldo!" she exclaimed, as he wrapped his arms around her, leaning against the counter.

"I think I've heard better comebacks from you."

"ALL my comebacks are better than yours." she insisted as he bent her back, leaning forward to kiss her.

With their lips together, he began to wrap his tongue around hers tight. Ignoring the sound of the microwave, he laid her back over the counter. Running his arms up her tank top, he found she wasn't wearing a bra. Rubbing her nipples, he suddenly wasn't concerned about dinner, but rather dessert.

Releasing her lips, he asked "Do you want to umm...go lay down for a while? I mean just to give your food a chance to cool down?"

Helga rolled her eyes at the idea of him not being able to say it. "If by that you mean 'Would you like to have sex first?' Yeah, sounds great."

While blushing terribly, it didn't stop him from carrying her into the bedroom ASAP.

Tossing her onto the bed while he quickly changed out of his work clothes, she exclaimed "Sheesh! Arnoldo, I'm not going anywhere! Keep your pants onnnnn…. Nevermind."

Calming down, he turned to look at her, down to his boxers as he laid on top of her. "Well, maybe I'll keep 'these' on for a minute."

Running his fingers through her hair, looking into her innocent eyes, he heard her ask "So, I guess you basically get a four day weekend thanks to Dr. Bliss' inability to crawl before she walks."

Ignoring her sarcasm, he bent down to rest his lips on hers as he whispered "Yeah, maybe I can bring you lunch again."

Sliding his tongue inside her, before she could respond, she felt a shiver go through her body. It was suddenly erased by the warmth of his hands that ran up and down her bare arms. The pace he gently massaged them at was similar to the slow steady rhythm he began to caress her tongue with. This began to build anticipation in both of them as Helga started to moan deeply.

He loved hearing this come from her. It meant she was as content as could be with the way things were and hopefully only he could be the one to do that for her.

Letting out a soft sigh, he pulled her up to lift off her tank top. As she wrapped her arms around him with their lips joined again, he placed his hands on her breasts. Feeling her smooth skin against his bare chest. Rubbing her nipples, goosebumps began to form across her arms. Her grip around his neck loosened as well as on his tongue.

"If someone ever needs to know President Pataki's weakness, I think I may be able to help them with that." he said, winking at her.

Glaring at him, she replied "You do, and I'll make sure Dr. Shortman gets sent to the looney bin!"

"Whatever you say Helga." he sighed as he sat up to pull off her sweatpants. Sitting there, running his hands up her smooth legs, made him think of their honeymoon. "So, are you going to make us an Arnold shrine to keep in our closet?" he asked, getting closer to her lips.

Rolling her eyes at him, she replied "I'm taking back my less secretive vow!"

Grabbing her hands to pin her down, he replied "We'll see about that."

Sucking her lips softly, he loved the way this position made him feel. She was his to keep; no one could steal her from him.

Letting go of her lips, she gave a questioning look as he asked "What is it?"

"Not to sound like you or anything, but I was just wondering if you were ever going to take our pants off?"

"I want to." he started as she interrupted "Then why don't you?"

Whispering, he replied "Because I don't want to let go of you."

Her heart melted at these words, while a dazed look was shown in her eyes. One he knew she revealed every time she was daydreaming or reciting a poem about him.

 _Arnold my love! Forgive me for questioning your ways. The meaning behind them to which you have. Your heart is as pure as your soul is sensitive. The gentle touch of a loved one is all you need to complete your desires. The…._

Her thoughts were then interrupted as she felt him slide his member deeply inside her. She had been so lost in her thoughts, she didn't even notice him removing her underwear.

"Crimity! A little warning, perhaps football head?" she scowled.

"I'm sorry, was I 'interrupting' something?" he winked as she laid back unresponsive.

Pressing harder and deeper, her heart began to pound as her breath began to shorten.

The louder she moaned, the more his smile grew, as he hovered over her thinking to himself _I'm the luckiest guy in the world!_

Normally, he would run out of breath before she would. When he saw how tired she appeared, he stopped to asked "Are you okay?"

"I'm...I'm fine. I just feel dizzy." she admitted, as he immediately removed himself from her.

Sitting her up, he examined her face. "You look a little pale. I'm going to reheat your food."

"Whatever floats your boat." she sighed, leaning back on her pillow.

Returning with it, he saw her with her arms and legs stretched across the bed. "So, do I not get a place to sleep tonight?"

"Mmmm….shut up Arnoldo."

 _Maybe it's not always a good thing when she moans._ He thought to himself.

As she sat up, giving him a spot to sit on the bed, he handed her the food.

"Sheesh! That's hot!" she exclaimed.

"Most people blow on their food. Then take tiny bites as opposed to just shoving spoonfuls into their mouths." he pointed out, as she glared at him.

"I can feed myself dingus!"

"Obviously not, or you wouldn't have been dizzy during our little escape!" he pointed out, wrapping his arm around her.

"Hey, you're the one who suggested dessert before dinner!" she countered as he nodded his head.

"You're right. Go ahead and eat, but don't move too far away." he said, moving his hand up her bare leg, sending chills through her once again.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: A New Feeling

The next morning the alarm rang, and although Arnold had to be the one to shut it off, Helga was the only one who had to go to work.

"Helga. Wake up. You don't want to miss work." he said shaking her, as she rolled over to say "Why don't you rethink that statement."

Rolling his eyes, he did his best to cut her some slack. Although they hadn't been married long, they had lived together long enough for him to know she was not a morning person. "I'm going to be working to, ya know."

Sitting up to smirk, she replied "By doing what? Reading Psychology Today and shopping for non-microwavable food?"

Scratching his head at her Psychology Today remark, he replied "I'm going to be looking over the psychology book Dr. Bliss gave us to prepare for next week."

Helga rolled her eyes, getting out of bed, as she smirked "Oh what a backbreaking day you'll be having."

"Whatever you say Helga." he sighed, walking into the kitchen in his boxers to find something to eat.

Pulling some eggs out of the fridge, he searched the cabinets for some of their high quality cooking supplies their friends had given them for their wedding. _Crock pot, skillet, collinder, man I just need a pan!_

After finally finding one, he turned around to see his well dressed wife standing with her hands on her hips.

"So, Martha Stuart? Decided to move on up from microwave pancakes to the real thing I see." she smirked.

Rolling his eyes while holding the pan, he said "I was actually going to make some scrambled eggs. Maybe we'll learn pancakes in our cooking class." he assumed as she crossed her arms.

"What cooking class? They were all full, football head!" she scowled as he set the pan down on the counter.

"I'm sure there are plenty of other's out there, Helga. If not, we can always go to my parents. I'm sure even my grandparents would be happy to help us." he suggested.

Cocking her brow once again, she said "Not that your cowpoke ridin' granny hasn't proven to be the Queen of Cakes, but I'm not taking a class from her."

Walking closer, he wrapped his arms around her waist, still standing in his boxers. "What about Olga? I'm sure she could teach us how."

"Are you TRYING to make me break out the divorce papers?!" she scowled, attempting to pull away.

Her struggling only made him pull her in tighter. Putting a hand behind her head, he pressed his lips against hers firmly. Even with the thick layered suit she was currently wearing, sliding his tongue inside her sent chills throughout her body.

Making out in the kitchen, discussing breakfast, made her rethink the previous night. The two sitting naked beside each other, while she ate her dinner. Him running his hand up her leg underneath the pillow her food rested on. Feeling him make it to her lower area with his hand; not doing a good job of following through on his words 'I'll leave you alone and let you eat.'"

Replaying this scene in her mind as he kissed her had her reaching for his boxers. Slowly lowering them, as he pressed against her harder, they were interrupted.

BEEP!

As he pulled away from her, he went to check him phone. "Crimity! It's like people KNOW when we're enjoying ourselves!"

"It's uhh Jason. He wants to meet at the library to study that book." Arnold said, scratching his head.

Helga shrugged her shoulders as she replied "I guess it's a good things he interrupted us, judging by your boxers."

Arnold looked down, beginning to blush as she headed for the door. "See ya later football head!"

"Aren't you going to eat something? You don't want to get sick again." he stopped her.

"Uhh fine. I'll take this banana. Don't you say a word about that Monkey Nucleosis crap!" she scowled, pointing a finger at him.

"Whatever you say Helga."

Watching her walk out the door, Arnold then decided to go get dressed. He knew Jason was probably already dressed and close to making it there.

While getting dressed, he thought to himself _I wonder if I should ask him about his roommate? Gerald said we should be prepared in case the worst should happen with Matt."_

As Arnold was pondering this the whole way to the library, Helga wasn't dreading the thought of her day filing papers too much. _This day won't be so bad. It's not like I'll be doing this lame-o assistant crap forever._

Making it to City Hall, she found Mayor Dixie prepared to greet her. "Good morning Helga! Ready to finish those papers?"

 _Crimity! It's as if she was standing there all night waiting for me?_

"Yeah, let's get going." Helga shrugged her shoulders as Mayor Dixie lead her into the next office.

"Great. Now I'm not going to have time to train you every step of the way, but I did find someone to step in for me."

There stood a boy with dark brown hair and hair and deep blue eyes, wearing a black business suit.

"This is Mark. He works in the law department, but since he's been here so long, I thought he'd be helpful teaching you how things work around here." Mayor Dixie insisted as the two shook hands.

"Hi, I'm Mark. You must be Helga. I've heard a lot about you. You seem to be quite an impressive young lady." he said, as she stood there blushing. "Uhhh thanks."

"Well, I guess she's taught you a lot about the office assignments. She said not to get into program planning until next week though; just to make sure you've got the hang of how things work around here." Mark informed her as she continued to stare at him.

"So, I guess if you'd like to finish what you were doing yesterday, we won't have to worry about anything else." he finished as she shook her head.

"Uhh right."

Meanwhile, Arnold had just made it to the library. Jason was waiting outside for him as he predicted with his copy of the book that Dr. Bliss had handed out.

"Hey Arnold! How are you this morning?"

"I'm good. I didn't do a whole lot of studying last night, so I guess it's a good thing you called." he blushed.

"Yeah, to be honest I didn't either. Next week will just be training, but I didn't know how much information we would be required to know by that point. She didn't exactly clarify is something such as a pop quiz would be sprung on us." Jason laughed as Arnold's eyes widened.

 _A pop quiz? How often will that happen? Do I have to have all this memorized by Monday?!_

The boys began to walk up the steps as Jason's words made Arnold think to himself _maybe I should just focus on this for the next few days and not worry so much about Matt. Helga can always look for information about that where she works._

The two chose a seat near the back of the library where they knew they wouldn't have to worry about being disturbed. Arnold did his best to focus on his work, but couldn't stop thinking about Matt.

"So, I'm not sure which topic I find to be more fascinating, depression or anxiety." Jason began, snapping Arnold out of his thoughts.

"Huh? Oh uh what do you mean?"

"Well, these are children we're working with. Depression would be a hard thing to deal with for someone in grade school. If their parents were going through a divorce, someone close to them died, or they were neglected by their family."

These words made Arnold think of Helga. The troubles she faced and in a lot of ways still did, not being seen as an equal member of the family.

"Yeah, depression isn't an easy thing to deal with." he admitted as Jason continued.

"Anxiety seems like a common problem. Everyone gets stressed out about something at some point in their lives. I guess it all depends on the severity of it." he pointed out as Arnold looked at the section of the book Jason pointed at, doing his best to stay focused.

Meanwhile, Helga was doing her best to stay focused on _her_ work. "Crimity! Which stack is this last stupid paper supposed to go in?!" she scowled before felling a tap on her shoulder.

Whipping her head around, she saw Mark smiling at her. "Huh?" she replied as she felt herself shake.

"I think it goes with the informational pages, since all it's doing is presenting factual information." he pointed out as she nervously set it in the correct stack.

"Oh uhh right. Thanks." she replied, looking away from him.

Neatly stacking the papers, he said "Well, I think that's about all we can do until next week. You're free to go if you like." he suggested.

Helga stared at him a moment, thinking to herself _I should probably ask him what to do about Matt? I can't seem to look at him without sweat puddles forming under my arms though? Crimity! What is wrong with me? I've got to get out of here!_

"Thanks, but I've gotta get going. See ya next week." she said, racing out of there.

By the time she made it out the door and to the bottom of the steps, she was leaning over panting. _I can't be falling for someone else?! Only Arnold makes me nervous! Only he can make my heart race with excitement! My lips quiver from nervousness! My insides form chills due to the outer touch of his warmth! I have to find him!_

Helga began to head for the library. Fast as she wanted to find him, she still hadn't mastered walking in heels.

Little did she know, Arnold and Jason were leaving the library. "Well, I guess that's about all for today." Jason said as Arnold rubbed his neck.

"I guess so. Although, there is something I wanted to ask you."

"What is it?" Jason wondered.

"Helga and I have been looking for a cooking class. We can't seem to find one that isn't full though. You seem to know a lot about it. Maybe if you're free one day during the week, you could show us a thing or two about it?" Arnold blushed, feeling weird asking another guy, one he barely knew for cooking lessons.

A smile formed on Jason's face as he quickly responded "I'd be happy to! If you're free on Saturdays, we could do it then?"

Arnold's eyes lit up. "Sounds great! I can't wait to tell Helga!"

The two went their separate ways, while Arnold thought to himself. _I could call Gerald, but I was planning on talking to Stinky about the ring. I know he won't be interested in joining me for that._

He then decided to head for Stinky's house alone. By the time he had made it halfway there, Helga had made it to the library.

 _Man! I should have just taken off my shoes and ran over here bare-footed!_

Walking inside and up to the front desk, she asked "Hey, have you seen a football headed guy in here?"

"I'm sorry?" the receptionist asked, not sure what she was talking about.

"A guy with a head shaped like a football! Have you seen him in here?" Helga scowled, not knowing how to be anymore descriptive than that.

"Well, someone with an oblong shaped head did leave here a while ago." she replied as Helga rolled her eyes and walked away.

 _Oblong? Fancy pants librarian! Gimme a break!_

Helga then headed towards the apartment, thinking to herself _I guess I could look up something about how to prepare for this Matt crisis, since that banana must have put some sort of anti-confidential spell on me at work._

Arnold had just made it to Stinky's house. Knocking on the door, he hoped to hear Stinky still had the ring, or at least some useful information on it.

"Hello?"

"Oh, hi Mr. Peterson. Is Stinky home?" Arnold asked hopefully.

"No, he went to visit his grandmother. Won't be back 'til Monday." Mr. Peterson informed him as Arnold began to frown.

"Oh okay, well thanks anyway." he said, waving goodbye to him.

 _I don't know if Jason was joking about those pop quizzes or not, but I should get home and study some more._

When Arnold made it home, he came to find Helga on the computer. By that point, she had changed into some jeans and a pink t-shirt.

"You're home early!" he exclaimed, setting his book down.

Helga whipped her head around as she replied "Huh? Oh yeah, he said we finished everything we needed to for the day. Hehe."

Arnold raised an eyebrow, walking towards her as he asked "He? Do you have someone knew helping you?"

Sweat began to form on Helga's face as she looked back at the computer. Her hands shook on the mouse, while she tried moving it from page to page.

Arnold placed his hand on hers, hovering over her as he asked "Who is it?"

Feeling him rub her hand, she replied "His uhh name's M-m-mark. He's a lawyer."

A smile formed on Arnold's face as he exclaimed "That's great! He can give you any information you need to prepare for Matt coming after us."

Helga then turned to look at him nervously, as she replied "Yeah, I guess so."

Finally noticing the fearful look in her eyes, Arnold asked "What's wrong?"

Helga continued to stare at him as her eyes began to water. Before he could ask her again, she jumped out of her seat, pushing him onto the couch.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed. Yanking his shirt off him, she bent down to kiss him aggressively with her legs spread across his. Squeezing his shoulders, she could feel the tension forming in his body. She planted her face firmly against his, smashing him further into the couch.

He would have asked what happened at work, if her tongue wasn't wrapped so tightly around his. As she released her hands from his shoulders, she pulled his face up tighter against hers.

 _I don't think we can get much closer without breaking our noses_ he thought to himself.

When she realized she needed a breath she sat up to pull off her shirt, while he took the opportunity to ask "Helga, what happened?"

Paying no attention to him, she began a trail of kissing from his neck to his pants. As she started to unzip them, he pushed her shoulders back to ask "Tell me what happened?!"

Helga grunted as she let go of his pants, still sitting on top of him. With her head hanging low as he gave a concerned look.

"I...I…" she began as he tried not to come irritated. "Please just tell me!"

"I don't know exactly what happened. But when that new lawyer guy came, a new feeling came over me." she tried explaining as he lifted an eyebrow.

"What do you mean new feeling?"

"Uhhh I don't know! I just felt nervous and couldn't speak when I tried to! It was the nervous feeling I get when I'm around you! I don't know if I was nervous just because I was working with someone new or if I was nervous because I liked him. All I know is, when I finished my work, I raced out of there!" she exclaimed as his eyes widened.

"So, you like him?" Arnold asked nervously, feeling his heart begin to pound.

"NO! I could never love anyone other than you!" she insisted.

"Then what are you so upset about?" he wondered, trying to sit up.

"I don't know why that feeling came over me when I saw him? I don't know what happened?!" she nearly cried as she leaned over to hold him.

Hugging her tight, he said "You were probably just nervous about working with someone new. Everything's okay now."

"But I have to keep working with him! That Dixie woman says she's too busy to help me. Some role model she is!" Helga sat up, crossing her arms.

"It's okay Helga. Just work with him through the summer. By the time your training is over, you won't need him anymore." he said, putting a hand to her face.

"Uhhh Fine! If you get sued because I have a panic attack from working with that guy, don't expect to win!" she warned him.

"Whatever you say Helga."

Walking into the kitchen, Helga began to go through the fridge. "Hey! Who drank all the milk?!"

"I had to dump it out. It got left sitting on the counter." he reminded her; watching her roll her eyes.

"Way to go Arnoldo!" she exclaimed.

Rather than fighting back, it took that as an opportunity to bring up the good news.

"That reminds me. Jason said he'd be willing to give us cooking lessons on Saturdays."

Helga turned to cock her eyebrow at him. Not long ago, he hated the idea of Jason getting too close to her; knowing he had feelings for her. Now he was basically asking them to spend time together.

"Are you sure that's a good idea football head?" she asked.

Walking closer, wrapping his arms around her, he replied "I trust you both. Besides, I think you've proven yourself strong enough to be able to take anyone who messes with you."

Helga rolled her eyes as she replied "Well, according to Geraldo and his 'play it safe' advice, that doesn't mean we can just get away with it.

Leaning closer, pressing their noses together, he replied "If you're going to be a government official, you'll have to get used to giving safety advice."

Feeling his lips drawing closer, she replied "You mean my ASSISTANT will have to get used to it!"

"Which you don't have yet." he point out as their lips rested against one another's. Feeling his warm arms around her shirtless back, as his tongued parted their lips, her mind flashed back.

 _Night of the Party_

 _Mark: Most people don't enjoy lukewarm beer_

 _Gulp, Gulp, Gulp_

 _Mark: Are you sure you want to take that off?_

 _Gulp, Gulp, Gulp_

 _Don't you want this back?_

 _Gulp, Gulp, Gulp, Gulp_

Helga's eyes fluttered open, while Arnold paid no attention to it. While his mind was as wrapped around her as his tongue was, she stood there trying to remember exactly what had gone on that night?

Standing with her against the counter, Arnold began to unhook her bra. When he noticed her shaking more than usual during their intimate moments, he asked "Is everything okay?"

Rather than responding, Helga passed a petrifying look Arnold's way as her lips began to quiver quicker than her body was trembling.

"What's wrong?" he asked anxiously.

Helga backed away from Arnold, thinking to herself _I couldn't have slept with Mark? I don't even know who he freakin' is for cripes sake?!_

"Are you alright Helga?" Arnold asked, continuing to look concerned.

Breathing heavily, she asked "Do you remember either of us leaving the party last Friday?"

Thinking back a moment, Arnold replied "No, but like I said, we both drank a lot that night. I only remember bits and pieces of it. Why?"

She didn't know what to do. She couldn't tell Arnold she cheated on him...especially if she wasn't 100% certain she did.

Arnold followed her as she began racing into the bedroom. "Helga, what's going on?!"

Full of frustration, she whipped her head around "Sheesh Arnoldo! Can't I have a minute alone without you worrying about me?! Crimity!"

A sorrowful look formed on Arnold's face as he turned to leave the bedroom. Helga then sat down on the edge of the bed, burying her face in her hands _I have GOT to figure out what happened at that party! I already talked to Pheebs. Who else was there that was sober?_

A moment later, Helga walked back into the living room to grab her shirt off the couch. As much as Arnold wanted to ask how she was doing, he decided to give her some space.

"I'm going out football head. Be back later." he heard her say from behind.

"Huh? Oh okay, Helga. I love you." he said, hoping she'd hear him.

When Helga reached the front of the apartment, she knew who she had to call.

"Hello?"

"Lila? It's Helga"

"Hello Helga! How are you?"

"Fine. Listen. Ya think you could meet me at the park?"

"That sounds oh too perfect!"

"Yeah thanks. See ya there."

"I'm looking oh too forward to it."

"Whatever."

 _Sheesh! Hopefully, she'll know something! Maybe I'm just crazy. Maybe that flashback never happened? That still doesn't explain why that Mark guy creeped me out. I've gotta get to the park!_

Arnold sat in the apartment lonely, thinking to himself _I wonder what's on Helga's mind? I never should have let everyone drink. I wonder if…_

Ring...Ring...Ring…

"Hello?"

"Hey Shortman!"

"Hey grandpa."

"How's life with your new wife?"

"Umm okay I guess."

"Your parents want you two to come over for dinner."

"Well, Helga's busy now. I guess I could come over for a little while."

"Sounds great. See ya!"

 _I guess Helga won't mind. I'll just text her telling her where I went. She's welcome to join me._

Meanwhile, Helga had just met Lila at the park.

"I'm oh so happy you asked to meet me here Helga!" Lila exclaimed as Helga held a hand to her face.

"Yeah, yeah, listen this isn't a social call sister. I've got something important to ask." Helga assured her as Lila gave a questioning look.

"Gosh Helga, what is it?"

Taking a deep breath, Helga asked "Do you remember me leaving Arnold's house at any point during the party last Friday?"

Lila took a moment to think until she replied "Hmm I'm ever so certain you were there the whole time. Phoebe even carried you upstairs to sleep. It was just ever so sweet of her."

 _Crimity! Where did that memory come from then?!_

Letting out a sad sigh, Helga replied "Alright, thanks. See ya."

As Helga headed back towards the apartment, she reached into her pocket to look at her phone. On it was a text from Arnold informing her she was welcome to join him for dinner at the boarding house.

 _Well, unless I feel like another stupid tv dinner, I guess I might as well_

When Helga approached the boarding house, she thought to herself _I see those idiots still haven't put up a WARNING: ANIMAL ALERT sign!_

After stepping back to let the sea of animals past her, she entered to see everyone sitting in the dining room.

"Hello sweetie! We saved you some food." Stella said, welcoming her to the table.

Helga took a seat beside Arnold, trying not to make eye contact. Although, she couldn't help but notice the weak smile he sent her way.

"So, what were you up to? Out planning a second wedding?" Phil joked as Helga rolled her eyes.

"No, I just had to meet with someone about something." Helga said, hoping he would drop it. She should have known her husband wouldn't however.

"Who were you meeting with?" Arnold asked.

Rolling her eyes, Helga replied. "I just needed to ask Lila something about the party, okay? Sheesh!"

Arnold frowned, wishing she would feel comfortable telling him more about what was bothering her.

"Was she able to help you?" he asked hesitantly, as she leaned back in her chair with her arms crossed "Pttss...what do you think?"

"If she was as drunk as you were, I'm thinking no." Phil butted in as the table glared at him.

"I still can't believe you let them drink dad." Miles shook his head as Phil raised a hand in defense "I didn't 'let' them drink. I WATCHED them drink."

Not believing she was about to ask, she glanced at Phil. Leaning back in the chair with her arms crossed, she asked "You wouldn't happen to recall me leaving the house at any point that night would you gramps?"

Arnold sent a confused look her way as Phil immediately replied "Oh yeah!"

Helga sat the chair down as Arnold whipped his head towards Phil. "You came downstairs, like you was a sleepwalking zombee! I was in the kitchen eating a roast beef sandwich when you headed towards the front door. Looking worse than Pookey when she can't find her karate outfit for watermelon night."

"Grandpa! Why didn't you stop her?!" Arnold exclaimed as Helga remained frozen.

"What for? She's 18; she's married; she knows how to work a door." Phil countered as Arnold rolled his eyes.

"I was drunk and shouldn't have been anywhere near the door!" Helga exclaimed, standing up from her seat.

"Well I'm old and shouldn't be eating raspberries, but it still happens to me." Phil laughed as Arnold shook his head.

Deciding she'd had enough, Helga stomped out of the boarding house, heading for the apartment.

Arnold watched her walk out, not blaming her for being upset. "Thanks for inviting us tonight, but we're just going to go home. It's been kind of a rough day. See you guys later."

"See ya shortman!" Phil exclaimed as they all waved goodbye.

Arnold raced out the door, seeing Helga hadn't made it far down the sidewalk. "Helga, wait up!"

Clenching her fists, she turned to point a finger in his face "Look Arnoldo! I don't know what all happened that night! I do know I'll be holding that eccentric family of yours accountable for whatever irresponsible behavior I may have fulfilled that night."

Placing an arm around her, he replied "Helga. Everyone's fine, no one got hurt. Why are you so concerned about remembering every detail about that night?"

"BECAUSE I JUST AM OK?! SHEESH!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air.

"There has to be a reason and I'm not leaving this spot until you tell me why." Arnold protested as she started walking. "Guess you're spending the night here then football head!"

Knowing that wasn't happening, Arnold slowly began to follow her home. _What could she be so concerned about?_

Helga was almost tempted to race home and lock him out, just to be alone with her thoughts. His guilty side was beginning to rub off on her; she just couldn't allow herself to do.

The two entered the apartment slowly and quietly, as if they were there alone. Helga headed for the computer, hoping to find some useful information to use against Matt in court.

When Arnold saw she wasn't interested in spending time with him, he said "I'm just going to go to sleep. Good night."

Helga's pride was beginning to take over her, as she was tempted to ignore him. When she realized how childish she was being she turned to say "Good night Arn…" but saw he had already left the room.

A tear fell from her eye as she turned back towards the computer. _Should I tell him? It's not like I meant to do...whatever it was that I did...when I went out!_

After a few more minutes on the computer, she came to the conclusion if there was anything that could help her, she wasn't going to be the one to find it.

 _I'll just suck it up tomorrow and ask Mark for his help. Maybe I'll even ask him what exactly happened between us…_

Helga then went into the bedroom to see Arnold passed out under the covers. Looking at him sleeping peacefully, she knew what mattered most to him was an honest open relationship. One with no secrets. _What will his reaction be when I tell him tomorrow…_


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Can I Have It Back?

"Hey Arnold! Hey Arnold! Hey A..OW!" Helga tried leaning over Arnold quickly to shut off the alarm before it could wake him, but was unsuccessful. "Sorry football head." she said, as she stood up to stretch her arms.

Arnold was tempted to get up with her, but didn't know what type of mood she would be in. One of the things he had learned about her over the years was not to push her too far when she had something she wasn't ready to tell. No matter how much it broke his heart.

"It's okay. Have a good day." he replied, turning back around to lay his head down. Helga glanced over with a sad face. _Have a good day? Is that it? He doesn't want to get up with me? Did I upset him that much yesterday?_

 _Oh my beloved, what have I done? What havoc have I brought to our delicate relationship that's yet to become? I will fix this injustice which I have so brought before us!_

Standing in the kitchen, grabbing herself some cereal, she thought to herself, _Crimity! The idea of being a housewife who can cook isn't starting to sound so bad!_

After dropping her bowl in the sink, she headed for City Hall. _I'm sure Arnold was right. I was just nervous about working with someone new. There's no reason to act that way today. I'm Helga G. Pataki! I can handle anything! Well Helga G. Shortman…_

Before she knew it, she was at work, where Mark was already waiting for her. "Good morning Helga, how are you this morning?"

Looking at him, doing her best to hide her trembling body, she replied "Fine. Just fine."

"Well good. I've been trying to think of something for us to do today since we finished organizing everything yesterday. I must say, you did quite an excellent job catching on to where everything goes around here quickly." he said, as her knees began to weaken. She couldn't figure out what it was about him that made her so nervous?

"Uhhh thanks." her eyes widened as she gulped. An awkward silence occurred while they each stood there thinking to themselves a moment.

 _Crimity! What do I do? Wait for him to think of something, or ask for his help with Matt?_

After not hearing hearing him suggest anything, she watched him walk towards the computer to look something up. Slowly approaching him, he whipped his head around, not noticing the gasp she let out.

"I wanted to tell you something yesterday." he confessed to her, as her eyes began to widen.

"You...you did?" she stuttered.

"I saw you last Friday at the arcade." he replied as sweat began to form on her face.

Still not remembering what all had happened, she let him continue, taking a seat beside him.

"My friends were throwing a party to welcome my new roommate. When I saw you there, I assumed you were a friend he had met at the homeless shelter."

Helga remained frozen in the chair. Now that she knew her hazy memory about Mark was true, she was petrified about the outcome.

"Uh huh? Umm what exactly happened?" she gulped, not believing she had the strength to ask.

Meanwhile, Arnold was getting dressed in his apartment. _Maybe I shouldn't have acted so perturbed this morning. Helga wasn't really acting that differently._

He reached for his phone to call her when he saw he had missed a text from Jason.

"Would you like to study again today?"

 _I guess I could. Helga didn't say when she'd be back_ he thought to himself.

"Sure. I'll be at the library shortly."

Arnold then got up to make himself some eggs.. That is, until he saw no one had washed the dishes. _I guess Helga was right about us needing to hire a maid._

After just deciding to grab an apple off the counter, he began heading towards the library. Not long after leaving the apartment, he saw what appeared to be Stinky across the street. Racing across to catch him, he yelled "Stinky! Stinky wait up!"

Stinky turned to see Arnold nearly tripping, as he brought himself to stop. "Oh hey Arnold. What brings you here?"

Trying to catch his breath, Arnold replied "Your dad said you were out of town, visiting your grandma?"

"Oh, it don't take long to catch up with her. She don't find me to be the interestin' type." Stinky said, not finding that to be offensive to himself.

"Uh huh? Anyway, I was talking to Sid about what happened at the party last week."

"Oh yeah! That was a mighty fine get together!" Stinky smiled as Arnold tried getting to the point.

"Yeah well, I wanted to ask if you still had Helga's ring?"

"I don't wreckin' so? On account a Sid left it sittin' on the table after Helga handed it to him." Stinky said, scratching his head, as Arnold's eyes lit up.

"Thanks Stinky!" he exclaimed, heading towards the boarding house.

 _I forgot about Jason! I'll just have to text him and tell him I'm going to be late._

Racing back to the boarding house, Arnold marched in, not caring if the animals knocked him over. He began to rethink that decision, after opening the door.

Managing to keep from falling off the porch, he searched for the one family member he knew was around for the party. "Grandpa! Grandpa!"

Arnold found his grandmother in the kitchen chopping watermelon for dinner. "Grandma, where's grandpa."

"Why, he's in his office young grasshopper!" she informed him as he headed upstairs.

Arnold made it upstairs just in time to see Phil leaving the bathroom. "Hey shortman! Never eat raspberries."

"Grandpa! Stinky said Helga's wedding ring is here somewhere, have you seen it?"

"Oh yeah, that thing's been sittin' on the table in the living room for the past week." Phil pointed down the hallway as Arnold frowned.

"Grandpa! Why didn't you tell me?"

"Cuz you never asked about it?! Phil replied as the two went downstairs.

Arnold anxiously raced there to see nothing waiting for him on the table. An even bigger frown came to his face as Phil held his chin. "Hmmm guess someone grabbed it. Maybe those were your mom's car keys I was thinking of? You still got that plastic ring don't ya?"

Back at city hall, Mark had finished explaining his night with Helga, as she went from wide eyed and tense to a cocked brow with crossed arms.

"So, you're telling me I spent the night doing shots with you until I took off my ring. Apparently, thinking I lost a bet to you?" she said out loud, getting her facts straight.

Mark nodded his head, replying "Yeah, I tried to give it back, but you just kept walking."

Helga leaned forward in her seat, anxiously asking "So, can I have it back now?"

"I don't have it anymore." he replied, with a regretful look on his face.

Her wide eyed look returned as she replied "What?! Where is it then?"

Having a fearful look on his face, Mark explained "After you left, a guy came up to me who seemed to know you. I gave the ring to him, assuming he'd give it back to you."

Helga lowered her head in disbelief _Crimity! I'll never find that thing!_

"I'm sure it's no big deal. Your husband won't love you any less because of it." Mark insisted as she began to raise her head.

"I guess. I do have a favor to ask though." she said softly as he listened attentively.

"Last year, I got felt up by some jerk at school who would not take a hint that I already had a boyfriend. Even if I had been single, there was no way in hell I was going out with him. Then when my boyfriend Arnold saw he wouldn't take his hands off me, he came over to warn him to stay away. Not only would the creep not back off, he started making fun of Arnold. Therefore, I punched him." she began to explain as Mark's eyes widened.

"Now a friend of ours says he still has a few months left to have the right to sue us and is looking for any chance to take us down. So, if you could help me look up some kind of defense right act I could use against this lamebrain, that'd be great." she finished as a puzzled look came to Mark's face.

While the two of them sat there pondering this, Arnold had just made it to the library. He knew Jason would already be in there waiting for him, so all he had to do was walk in and find him. There he saw him sitting in the same seat, going over the information for what hopefully wouldn't turn out to be a quiz the following week.

"Hey Jason, sorry I'm late." Arnold apologized.

"Don't worry about it. How have you been?" he asked, while Arnold took a moment to answer. Jason wasn't exactly a close friend, so he didn't know if there was any point in bothering him with the trouble he and Helga had been going through lately.

"Well, Helga and I have just been stressed out lately. I'm sure we're just getting used to the idea of starting a new life together, new jobs, and I threw kind of a crazy party last week that's had her concerned ever since." he admitted as Jason set his book aside.

"My parents and grandparents live in a boarding house. When Helga and I were celebrating moving out last Friday, some of the boarders bought alcohol for the party. My friends and I all drank to the point where none of us could remember more than a few moments from that night. She's been pretty upset ever since." he sighed, looking away.

"Well, memory loss can be quite frustrating. Especially if you find out you did something you regret doing. For instance, sleeping with another person." Jason suggested as Arnold's eyes widened.

 _Could this be what Helga was so upset about yesterday? Could she have slept with someone and not remembered?_

"Uhh yeah. I guess that makes since." Arnold said, trying to keep his mind on his work.

After a few moments of staring at their books, Arnold decided the new thought that had been brought to his mind was too much to keep him focused on his studies.

"Thanks for inviting me to study Jason. I remembered I have to talk to someone about something. I'll see you tomorrow if you still plan on coming over to cook."

"Sounds good. See you then." he said, waving goodbye to Arnold.

Meanwhile, Helga was watching Mark read through practically every self defense law, looking for a loophole. "Crimity! They have a SPORT called boxing! Yet, they're this technical about whether or not it's okay to hit someone if that lunatic's invading your personal space?!" she exclaimed.

"The government takes physical violence quite seriously." Mark warned her as she crossed her arms, rolling her eyes.

"Oh man! They should take a look at public schools today. Kids get punched every few minutes. Be it for fun, or to teach that certain someone a lesson for hovering over your shoulder when you're trying to get a moment of privacy to be alone with your thoughts!" Helga thought out loud to herself as Mark gave her a questioning look.

"So, they hit each other for standing too close?" he asked, hoping she realized how crazy that sounded.

Tugging at her collar, as her eyes began to widen, she replied "Oh you know, something along those lines."

Mark looked back at the computer, trusting it wasn't as bad as she made it out to be.

 _Phew! That was close! Stupid Brainy!_

Although it was a relief to have things cleared up about the night of the party, and something being done about Matt, Helga stood there wondering what things would be like with Arnold when she returned home. How mad was he at her right now?

He had just made it home, setting his things down in their quiet apartment.

Ring...Ring...Ring…

"Hello?"

"Hey Gerald."

"Hey Arnold. What's up?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to get some ice cream?"

"Sure buddy. Meet ya there!"

Walking down the street, Arnold wondered if the ring was even worth being concerned about at this point. Helga wanted it back just as a reminder of how far they'd come with their relationship. A symbol of the destination they reached together, despite the terrible twists and turns their relationship had taken over the years. What kind of mark would be left on it if either of them slept with another person.

Making his way inside the ice cream parlor, he saw his best friend waiting for him. "Hey Arnold! Over here buddy!"

"Hey Gerald." he said, sadly taking a seat.

"What's going on man? This better not still be about the rings. If so, we're going to the arcade." Gerald warned him, pointing a finger.

Arnold rested his head on his hand, propping it on his elbow against the table. "Gerald, I'm worried Helga's hiding something from me."

Raising an eyebrow, taking a sip of his milkshake, Gerald replied "That's nothing new."

"You don't understand. She's been acting paranoid for the past week!" Arnold pointed out, while he watched his friend push aside his shake.

"The past week? Arnold, that girl has been the most overly-dramatic thinker we've known since preschool! She's not cool and laid back. If you two plan on living out the phrase 'opposites attract' that's your area to fill." Gerald insisted.

Staring at the table, Arnold sighed "I don't know if that's enough."

"What are you talking about?" Gerald asked, leaning back with his arms crossed.

"I'm talking about the fact that no one remembers EVERYTHING that happened that night!" he began as his friend interrupted.

"What makes you think they would? They were drunk!"

"Something obviously happened that Helga's ashamed to tell me about. It's hard enough getting her to open up about things she knows aren't worth worrying about. How am I supposed to get her to open up about...whatever it was that happened the night of the party?" Arnold said, finally making eye contact with his friend.

"Look man, what is it you think she did?" Gerald asked impatiently.

"What if she, she…" he began, scratching the back of his head.

"She what?" Gerald leaned forward as Arnold grew silent.

"What if she slept with someone?" Arnold asked, as Gerald went from raising his eyebrows to shaking his head.

"Arnold, with all do respect buddy, you're the only one who ever has, and ever will be, able to see the good in that girl. Trust me...no one slept with her!" Gerald insisted as Arnold rolled his eyes.

"She was wondering around town drunk in the middle of the night Gerald! Anything could have happened!" he exclaimed, waving his hands in the air.

"Have you bothered to ask her about it or have you just been going with this 'give her her space' plan of yours?"

Taking a moment to think, he replied "We were uh, doing stuff in the kitchen when I got home yesterday when all of a sudden, she backed away from me. She asked what happened at the party, and has been distant ever since."

"Was she acting weird before then?" Gerald wondered, beginning to see the strangeness in the situation.

"Well, come to think of it. When I got home, she did kind of throw herself at me." he thought out loud as Gerald raised an eyebrow. "Threw herself at you?"

"She started making out with me on the couch, because she said the nervous feeling that came over her when she met her manager freaked her out." he began to explain.

"So if I was to suddenly jump out at her from behind a corner, her first thoughts would be 'I need to have sex with Arnold?'" Gerald said wittingly, as his best friend rolled his eyes.

"She was worried she was having feelings for him, because she felt the same nervous feelings around him that she does with me." Arnold explained, not liking the way that sounded.

"You two both have the same problem. You have an idea of what could have happened based on the information you do have, but aren't willing to share what you know. You have to tell her you suspect she's worried she cheated on you. She'll have no choice then but to explain herself." Gerald smiled, feeling proud of his suggestion.

Arnold sighed, knowing it wouldn't be easy. Helga wasn't any easier to trap Helga into revealing information than it was to get her to open up voluntarily. All she had to do was act as though she didn't know what the person accusing her was talking about, no matter how ridiculous a point it got to.

"I guess I have no choice.."

It was approaching the end of Helga's work day. They had spent nearly all of it looking up information to use to protect Helga and Arnold against Matt. "Well Helga, I'll keep searching for something this weekend. I know there are laws pertaining to your case. There number of laws giving people the right to sue if they've been touched in general just significantly outweighs them." Mark warned her.

Helga stood up from her desk chair, not looking too confident. "Alright, thanks for the help. See ya Monday I guess."

Walking down the steps of City Hall, she thought to herself _I think I'm finally starting to master this high heel thing!_

Meanwhile, Arnold and Gerald were leaving Slausens. Normally Gerald wouldn't mind being there for his friend when he had girl troubles. Even he felt Arnold and Helga were overreacting in this case however. So much, that he was looking for anything to talk about that would snap him out of this depressing mindstate. "So, how's that psychology job of yours?"

Arnold turned his head towards Gerald to explain "All I've been doing the past two days is studying at the library...well mostly."

"Dare I ask?" Gerald said, knowing the rest had to do with his marriage troubles.

Shaking his head with his hands on his hips, Gerald added. "Man, either you were right about her having a sensitive side or that was some long lasting booze she consumed. I want you to go home. Tie her up again if you have to, although I've tried to remove that horror show image I witnessed of you two from my mind these past few weeks." Gerald began, giving a disgusted look as Arnold blushed.

"Whatever it takes. I'm sick of this second teenage puberty stage you're putting on. Pataki hasn't exactly been paying Phoebe much attention either." Gerald reminded him, while Arnold stopped to think about how little attention they had been paying their friends lately.

While considering this on what turned into a quiet trip back to the apartment, Helga pulled out her phone to see she had a missed call.

Ring...Ring...Ring

"Hello?"

"Hey Pheeb. Sorry I missed your call last night."

"Is everything alright."

*Sigh*

"I don't know Pheebs"

"Would you like to get together to talk about this?"

"Sounds good. Meet ya by the docks."

"Meeting!"

Approaching his new home, Arnold felt a pat on the back. "Well buddy, good luck tonight. Let me know how everything goes."

With his head hanging low, Arnold replied "Thanks Gerald. See ya later."

"Later man." Gerald replied, giving his best friend their secret handshake.

Arnold made it inside to see an empty apartment. _Maybe I should try to make Helga something for dinner. If I show her how much I want this to work, I might to have to play the 'vulnerable' card._

While he was searching through the cabinets for something he knew wouldn't be too hard to make, Helga had just made it to the docks.

She saw her best friend sitting on the edge, waiting for her.

"Good afternoon Helga. That certainly is a lovely business suit."

Helga took a seat beside her friend, wandering how not to get herself dirty. "Yeah, come to think of it, this may not have been the best place to meet while I'm dressed like this. I just enjoy coming here to clear my head."

Phoebe nodded her head, already knowing that about her friend.

"So, what's been troubling you lately?"

Helga shut her eyes a moment, not knowing where to start. "Well, yesterday I was given a new guy to work with. When I saw him, I got all nervous. That same shaking, trembling feeling I get when I'm around Arnold." she began as Phoebe listened attentively.

"I could barely speak around the guy. When the day was over I raced home, not long before Arnold arrived. When he did, I practically threw myself at him, knowing there was no way I could love anyone else. I mean, crimity, I've been obsessed with him since I was three! She exclaimed.

"True. You've proven to have strong lingering feelings that would be quite hard to break." Phoebe agreed.

"Then Arnold assures me I was just nervous about working with someone new. Which I figured sounded reasonable until football head and I were making out in the kitchen."

"Did you not have the same warm feeling you've always felt with him during your intimate moments?" her best friend asked as she sighed.

"Worse Pheebs. I had a stupid flashback of what happened the night of the party. From the haziness of it, it seemed as though I had slept with the guy from my office. I couldn't tell Arnold that though!" she exclaimed.

"Oh my! So you've ignored him ever since?" Phoebe wondered.

"Basically. I went to the office today to find what happened was I somehow left the house in the middle of the night and instead of taking my clothes off for him, I gave my ring to him. Only, he doesn't have it anymore! Crimity, I'm never going to get that thing back!" Helga said, smacking her head.

"Like I said the other day Helga, you don't need it to be happy. If you're that concerned however, did your new manager say who he gave the ring to?" Phoebe asked as Helga shrugged her shoulders.

"Apparently it was someone who claimed to know me. I think we can rule out you, Arnold, tall hair boy, and little Miss Perfect since I've already spoken with her about it."

A moment of silence took over until Phoebe spoke up. "You know Helga, when Arnold didn't think he'd be able to keep your real engagement ring, you were satisfied with the one from the claw machine and a poem you had written yourself for the occasion. Now that you're officially married, do you really believe you need that wedding ring to remind you how much he loves you? He does simple loving gestures to prove he would remain faithful to you every day." Phoebe assured her as Helga turned her head towards her.

"You're right Pheebs. Let's go home." she replied, standing up to dust what she could off her suit. "Crimity! Look how damp this thing got!"

Helga arrived home to see Arnold cooking in the kitchen. He didn't turn his head to see the door opening. Instead, he turned around the moment he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Helga! You're home!" he exclaimed as she stepped back. "Sheesh football head! I'm right here. We don't need a second Olga."

"Right. Sorry. How was work?" he asked, embarrassed by his enthusiasm.

Giving him a weak smile, she replied "Eh, not bad. Mark may be able to dig up some info to use against Matt if he tries anything funny."

A wide grin formed on Arnold's face, while he couldn't help but raise his voice. "Really? That's great!"

"Yep. So, I see you're cooking. Those TV dinners just not doing it for you anymore?" she asked, taking a glance at what was on the stove.

"I just thought I'd try making you something. You haven't seemed to happy the past week. I wanted to make it up to you." he explained as she started to look away.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I've just had some things on my mind."

Arnold looked back at the stove to stir the noodles. He knew she wasn't going to open up to him. He also didn't want to force her to. _Why can't she just say it?!_

Knowing she wasn't making him happy by bottling up the rest of the information, Helga said "I'm going to go change. I'll be back."

After not receiving a response from him, Helga stood in their bedroom changing into some sweatpants and a t-shirt, thinking to herself…

 _Oh Arnold, my beloved. What will you do when I confess the truth the you? Was losing that ring losing a piece of your heart? Was that dream warning me our worlds are about to be torn apart? Perhaps it is I alone who is the dagger in this whole…."_ Helga! Dinner's ready!"

She then shook her head, hearing these words. Entering the kitchen, she saw some spaghetti had been made for the two of them.

Helga looked at the food, sad that she wasn't putting the effort into making their relationship stand strong during these tough times that he obviously was.

Arnold saw a sad look on her face, assuming it meant she was disappointed. "I know it's not much. I figured it would be better than those TV dinners though."

Hearing these words, she looked up at him, her voice shaking as she replied "I've got something to tell you after dinner."

He couldn't believe what he heard, or what he thought he was going to hear. This made him begin to shovel his food down as Helga cocked her brow at him. "You can never comment on the way I eat again football head! Sheesh!"

"My one to your one million." he replied, finishing up his food. Arnold was so anxious to hear what she had to say, he had nothing better to do than sit and watch her eat. This wasn't making her to comfortable.

"Enjoying the show, football head?" she asked, while that didn't put a pause on his anxiety.

"Uhh kind of. Although I wish I could fast forward." he laughed, seeing her roll her eyes.

"Well, sit back, because this show has plenty of commercials that come with it."

Rolling his eyes at her remark, he replied "Whatever you say Helga."

Knowing it wasn't fair to rush her, he decided to get up and wash his plate to kill time. _First I cook, then I clean. I guess I am going to be the housewife._ He thought to himself.

As he was putting it away, he saw another being set in the sink beside him. "Looks like you got one more to rinse, football head!"

Smiling at her with half-lidded eyes, he replied "I think it can wait until later."

A chill went through her body, feeling him run his hands up her arms and under her sleeves.

"So, what did you want to tell me?" he asked, leaning closer.

Helga gulped, knowing she technically had nothing to worry about. Arnold didn't care about the ring, and she didn't sleep with Mark.

"Uhhh...let's go in the bedroom." she said, watching Arnold shrug his shoulders. "Fine by me."

Arnold got comfortable on the bed, waiting for her new. He then turned to see Helga began going through their nightstand and dresser drawers. "Crimity! Where is it?!"

"What are you looking for?" he asked, sitting up.

Irritably clenching her fists, she replied "None of your beezewax Arnoldo!"

"Whatever you say Helga." he sighed, laying back down, hoping she wouldn't back out on telling him what she had planned to.

Seeing she was still searching through the drawers, he felt the need to once again interrupt. "If you're looking for the condoms, they're…"

"I'm not looking for those! Sheesh!" she exclaimed, not bothering to turn and look at him.

Arnold watched her leave the room a moment, while he continued lying there, staring at the ceiling. _We could have found whatever it is she's looking for by now if she would just let me help._

Suddenly, she was hovering over him, empty handed. "Did you find...whatever it was you needed?" he asked anxiously.

"Maybe." she replied, watching him roll his eyes.

"Alright. So are you going to tell me what you said you needed to?" he asked, sitting up.

Helga sighed, while Arnold could see something was clearly bothering her. He then sat up to rub her shoulders, doing his best not to ask her to proceed.

A moment later, Helga looked up at him with her sad blue eyes while watching his desperate green eyes stay focused on her.

She pulled him in for a long lingering kiss, hoping never to lose what they had.

She could sense he wasn't as into it as she was. He desperately wanted to know what she had to say. Sitting him up, she pulled off his shirt. Leaning her head against his, rubbing his shoulders, running her hands from them to the end of his arms.

After he had shut his eyes to enjoy the feel of her soft hands against his smooth skin, he opened them to feel her tying him up.

While she laid him against the back of the bed, she sat beside him, hearing him sigh. "I should have known that was what you were looking for. Just be nice this time."

Giving him a sad look, she said "Only if you're nice to me."

Lifting an eyebrow at her, he asked. "What are you talking about?"

"Arnold, I just can't get over that dream I had. What if it really did mean something?" she asked, looking down, twiddling her thumbs.

"Helga, I told you to forget about it. What are you worried it means?" he asked, feeling a bit of irony being played in the situation. Gerald told him to tie her up and force her to reveal her true feelings. Now here he was being tied up, only able to beg her to spit out what she had been repressing.

"When you kissed me yesterday, I remembered something about the party." she began, wishing she could speak at lightning speed. Just to fast forward to the end of the story.

"What did you remember?" he wondered, forgetting for a moment he was tied up.

"I pictured myself drinking somewhere, taking something of mine off, in front of another guy. One I recognized to be Mark, my new manager." she sighed as he raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

"How is that even possible? No one new was at the party."

Feeling agitated that it ever happened, she replied "I must have slept walked outside that night, because Mark said he saw me at what was his new housewarming party at the arcade."

"So, you two ended up…" Arnold asked, beginning to struggle.

"In my daydream, that's what I was worried about." she frowned as his eyes widened.

"What happened then?!" he insisted on knowing, hating the fact that he couldn't move.

"This morning, he said what I took off was my ring to give to him, after I drank some more." she explained, listening to a dramatic sigh release from him. After the two stared at one another a moment, Arnold's expression went from relief to excitement.

"Great! Now you've got your ring back right?"

Once again a frown formed on her face. Shaking her head at him, she replied "No. When I asked him for it, he said I left in too big a hurry for him to return it. He just ended up giving it to someone who apparently knows me."

Arnold examined the depressing look of disappointment on her face. "Did he say what the person looks like?"

Helga began to stare into space, slowly shaking her head. Arnold didn't understand what she could think he would be upset with her about. The ring didn't mean anything to him. He was just full of relief she didn't sleep with anyone else.

"I don't understand what you're asking me to forgive you for?"

Whipping her head around as if that one sentence was the key to snapping her out of her haze, she snapped "Arnold, do you not remember what my dream was about?"

Shrugging his shoulders reminded him he was tied up. He could feel the frustration from it forming as he replied "We should just be friends."

Rolling her eyes at his description, she replied "NO! That you suggested going back to being enemies to make me feel better. Then worse, you later didn't even know who I was?! What kind of freakin' coincidence to you find it to be that I would dream about something so terrible, then not have my ring the next morning? Not to mention you working with the guy I met at the homeless shelter who just happened to have feelings for me. What are the odds of that? Sheesh!"

Arnold wanted so badly to hold her. To comfort her and tell her everything was okay. Just having to lay there and listen to her panic, while not being allowed to do anything for her. It was as though she was trying to prepare him for her willingly leaving him.

"Helga! It was just a dream! I love how passionate you are, but sometimes you let your feelings get the best of you. You can't decide to be the judge of everyone's happiness based on a few unexplainable events." he insisted, with almost demanding eyes.

"Pttss...what makes you so sure?" she scoffed.

"When we were kids, I had no idea why you acted the way that you did, but I didn't judge you. I didn't exclude you from my life." he pointed out, as her eyes began to water.

"Oh what do you know football head!" she scowled, turning her head.

"I don't know where you're going with this, but I do know you're really starting to scare me! I would never leave you Helga! I can only hope you feel the same way about me."

 _Crimity! Him and his guilt trips! Stupid football head!_

Arnold waited for her to face him, while he watched her looking away to hide her teary eyes. Each tiny sobb he couldn't comfort was a handful of distress for his heart.

 _Why won't she ever let me help her? Let alone 'believe' that I want to?_

Helga continued to look away, doing her best to wipe her eyes and calm herself. She then heard something in her ear, "I know I need you, even if you don't think you need me."

Hearing these words brought as much pain as it did joy to her heart. It hurt that she not only hadn't mastered the technique of letting people in, but hurt the ones she loved because of it.

It brought happiness to her heart however, that someone she cared so much for felt they needed someone with such a rough exterior. True she had a sensitive soul, but did she show it often enough to make her seem as though she was worth keeping?

Turning to look at him with watery eyes and rose colored cheeks, she saw he had managed to scoot to what was now only an inch away from her.

Watching her wipe the leftover tears from her eyes made him begin to breath heavily as he thought to himself _I hope she believes me! That I would never leave her for anyone! That I would never…_

His thoughts were then interrupted when he felt a pair of soft hands with a firm grip around his face, pulling him in for a passionate kiss. Normally, it would take him a moment to close his eyes, being so overwhelmed by her aggressiveness. Feeling her sweet yet strong grip around his tongue was so relieving however. He immediately shut his eyes, while she felt an intense sigh of relief release through his nose.

Holding his innocent face against what she felt to be her faultful one, she thought to herself…

 _Why can't I get over the deep meanings and feelings of these stupid situations I can't even remember the details of?! Why do I have to make such a big deal out of everything? I mean crimity! Here I am holding the love of my life, with my dream job forming...and it's all thanks to him!_

 _Oh Arnold my love! Continue to see past my repressed love. Although I've shown my sensitive side to the outside world once or twice, you alone know what lies beneath my rough exterior. Continue to look past this tormented guise I force you to face! Our love is the one thing which pulls me through this misguided, dishonest, place!_

Thinking this to herself, she began to moan. Arnold wondered if she was reciting a monologue in her mind, but couldn't let go of his lips. Whatever was going on, he was full of relief she was touching him.

Her soft hands now laying against his smooth skinned chest, as she rested on top of him. Laying across the side of the bed, with her nose pressed roughly against his. It wasn't long before she sat up to pull off her own shirt. Rather than teasing him by taking her time to undress herself, she removed her bra along with her shirt.

This didn't stop him from trembling with anticipation at the thought of not being able to hold her. Feeling her shirtless chest against his, she held his shoulders down firmly while beginning to suck his neck.

 _I hope there isn't a mark there come Monday_ he thought to himself.

That thought was interrupted by the feel of her removing his pants. Rubbing her hands up and down his bare thighs, just sitting and staring back into her sapphire blue eyes, sent chills through his body. Pulling his underwear down slowly, she stuck her hand inside to play with his member.

His eyes began to widen intensely as he felt her running her hands up and down his member. Once he had gotten used to the tingling sensation she was sending throughout his body, as suggested "Not that I'm not loving this, but don't you think you should grab a condom?"

Rolling her eyes at his safety remark, she replied "Uhh fine! Sheesh, you can't hold it in for five minutes!"

"Whatever you say, although I know how this lasts longer than five minutes." he said, winking at her.

After pulling off his underwear to place it on him, she hovered over him, with her hair hanging at her side. "Guess I can finish getting undressed." she whispered, watching him gulp.

 _I never should have made up this game. Unless she unties me, she's ahead in the number of times it's happened, and I know she's not going to untie me._

Shortly after that thought went through his mind, she was sitting up on top of him, with her legs spread across him, looking down into his emerald eyes.

"So, I take it you're not going to untie me?" he asked hopefully yet doubtfully.

"Pttss...what to do you think?" she replied, sticking his member inside herself, leaning down to kiss him.

As the two shared what continued to be a long passionate kiss, Arnold felt her moving their lower parts up and down, back and forth as though she was trying to get settled inside him.

He struggled to pull his lips away from hers, wanting to say something. She wasn't having any of that however. Wrapping her tongue around his tightly, while placing a hand behind his head, the closeness she felt was lost between them was brought back to her heart. A feeling she couldn't stand the thought of losing again.

With that, she reached down to untie him. As he felt this, he immediately flipped her over. Laying on top of her, he began to feel her soft breasts he took inside his hands. He circled her nipples with his fingers as she rolled back her eyes, letting out a moan. Placing her hands on his shoulders, she tried to squeeze him, but was too distracted. A wide grin formed on his face, while watching the satisfaction this brought to her.

Her arms dropped from his shoulders while she laid there practically unresponsive. He bent down to give her a few lip smacking kisses, as he looked into her eyes. "I love you, and I always will." he promised, knowing in his heart she felt the same him. Although he couldn't help but wonder when she'd do a better job of showing it.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: The Last Thing I Want

The next morning, the two awoke, happy not only to be holding each other, but that it was Saturday.

Arnold felt her move, assuming she was awake. "Are you awake sweetie?" he whispered. Turning to face him, she sighed "I am now."

He began to brush the hair out of her eyes, not caring so much that he woke her. He was just full of relief they had worked things out between them.

"What do you say I make you breakfast, then we see if Gerald and Phoebe want to do something together?" he suggested, watching her yawn.

"Alright but if there's drinking involved, you'll be the one waking up with memory loss!" she warned him as he winked. "Wouldn't 'dream' of it."

Shaking her sleepy head, she threw off the covers, sighing "Zip it football head."

Arnold didn't care about her insults. He couldn't stop smiling at the idea of someone so wonderful wanting to be with him. It was just hurtful she didn't always believe he felt that way about her.

"I'll try, but I'm not promising anything." he warned her, getting up to stretch his arms.

The two walked into the kitchen together, wandering if there was anything they could make from scratch other than scrambled eggs. "Unless you want eggs again, we may have to get our much needed wedding gifts involved." Arnold warned her.

"Fine, break out the stupid microwave pancakes. Sheesh!" she scoffed, as he began to go through the freezer.

"We've also got some waffles, or I could make you some toast?" he suggested, knowing that didn't sound too impressive.

She tried not to roll her eyes at his attempt to please her. That wasn't too hard to do however when she heard her phone beep.

"Who is it?" he asked, watching her grab it from her purse.

"Uhhh Pheebs. Apparently Ms. Goody Two Shoes' cousin is around. This better not mean yours is too!" Helga exclaimed, pointing a finger in his direction.

Arnold's eyes widened, nearly dropping the waffles. "What?! Where did she see her?"

Helga shrugged her shoulders with annoyance. "The heck if I know. She just said to look out for her. Great, more drama! Sheesh!"

Placing the waffles in the toaster, Arnold went to sit beside his wife on the couch.

"Helga, this isn't anything to worry about. You don't like the guys who like you, and I don't like her. Now text her back and invite her to do something with us later." he said in a demanding voice, while she turned to glare at him. "Since when do YOU give orders?"

"Since you stopped being the aggressive one." he replied, laying on top of her.

Pressing their lips, rubbing their parts together, he could feel her warm hands sliding his boxers down. Before they could come off, they both heard the waffle pop from the toaster.

Barely pulling his lips off her, he whispered "I don't know about you, but my appetite has changed."

Rolling her eyes, she replied "That will never be the case with me."

He could feel her struggling to move, like an animal that saw a plate of unguarded food.

Cocking her brow, she asked "Are you going to let me up so I can eat?"

"You didn't let me help you when I tried last night. Why should I now that you want me to?" he asked, with a wide grin on his face.

Tilting her head towards the kitchen, as if she was thinking to herself _I'm so close to the food_ she heard him say "I seem to recall we both had in our vows 'I vow to make your problems my problems.' I don't think you understand how hard it was for me to have to just listen to you struggle with your emotions, while not being able to comfort you last night."

Turning back to face him with quivering lips, she said "At least I told you what was on my mind hairboy! If that's not being 'less secretive' I don't know what is."

Sending a weak smile her way, he bent down to give her a lingering kiss. Holding her tongue with his, as tight as he was her arms with his hands, he never wanted the moment to end. Feeling her struggle, he knew their food must be getting cold though. "I guess I'll let you eat now." he sighed, watching her grin. "I was actually just trying to take your boxers off, but that sounds just as good." she smirked.

"Whatever you say Helga." he smiled, getting off her.

The two sat down and ate, while Arnold then remembered Jason would be coming over later that night. "I almost forgot Jason is coming over for cooking lessons later this evening."

Shoving the last of her food into her mouth, Helga replied "What exactly is he teaching us?"

Arnold shrugged his shoulders with an innocent look. "I don't know. If I did, we wouldn't need him."

She rolled her eyes at his witty remark, taking her plate to the sink. "So, what did you have in mind for today?"

"I was thinking we could go to Home Furnishings to get some new things for the apartment. Maybe they'd like to come with us there."

Shrugging her shoulders, she replied "Eh, why not? I'll text Pheebs back if you want to text Geraldo."

"I'll do it after I get dressed." he said, watching her grin at him.

"You mean, you're not going out like that?"

"Very funny Helga." he sighed, heading for the bedroom.

After getting changed and texting their friends, the happy couple headed to meet their friends at the furniture store. Arnold grabbed his wife's free hand that he saw swinging at her side. Thinking to himself _it's like we're back in high school._

"So, what exactly are you planning to buy? It's not like we're kajillionaires or anything...yet!" she pointed out.

Scratching the back of his head, he replied "I wasn't going for anything huge. I just thought it would be nice to have some decorations."

"Decorations? Who are you, Princess?" she scowled.

Rolling his eyes at her remark, he explained "No, like a shower mat for the bathroom, a heater for the bedroom, candles for the kitchen, and picture frames to hang our wedding photos in the living room."

A weak smile formed on her face, as she replied "Are you sure you want a heater in the bedroom? You can barely handle our 'night time' workouts with the fan on."

Shaking his head, he sighed "Whatever you say Helga."

The two then approached the store, seeing their friends were already outside waiting for them. "Hey Arnold! What's up buddy?" Gerald exclaimed.

"Not much. Helga and I just thought we'd get some stuff for the apartment." he replied.

Phoebe began to smile at the sight of her friend working things out with her husband. "Good morning Helga. How are you today?"

"Just fine. I can honestly say school being replaced by a week of work really does make you appreciate the weekend."

Although she hadn't found work yet, Phoebe was able to compare the stress of Helga's work to the position she held as Class President their senior year. "I completely understand."

Gerald shook his head at the idea of Helga having a government job. The most demanding kid in their grade school class one day hoping for a position to rule their entire country. "Uh huh? So, what are we buying in here?"

"Football head wants some candles and picture frames." Helga informed him, hoping to make him look as sensitive as possible. As usual, her wittiness did the trick. Their friends turned to give him a questioning look, seeing him begin to blush.

"Helga, I'm just trying to liven it up a bit. It looks so plain right now." he countered, as she rolled her eyes with her hands on her hips. "Pttss...whatever. We going inside or what?"

The group then walked in to hear "Welcome to Home Furnishings! Can I help you?"

Helga rolled her eyes at the enthusiastic service clerk while Arnold rubbed his neck. "Thanks, but we're just looking around."

"Gee that wasn't very polite football head. Turning down help like that!" Helga scowled, knowing the guilt trip she'd be sending him on.

"What? No, I just didn't want to bother her." he said with petrified eyes, while Gerald shook his head.

"Man, Stinky was right! You two haven't even been married a month, and you're already bickering like an old married couple!"

While Arnold rolled his eyes at the statement, Helga was just happy to have embarrassed him. Payback for getting her back this morning. _That'll teach him to try to teach me a lesson!_

"Come on Pheebs. Let's go look at the heaters. I need one that won't turn hairboy into a complete sweat puddle. He's bad enough as it is without one!" she insisted as Arnold began to blush.

"Coming!" Phoebe assured her as Gerald shook his head.

"I don't agree with 99.9% of the things that girl says or does, but it looks like you two worked things out, so I'm not going to complain...too much."

Arnold began to sigh after watching the girls walk away. Knowing something was on his friend's mind, Gerald thought to himself _Maybe I spoke too soon._

"I know your wife's tall, skinny, and full of fire, but she's no candlestick man. Why are you still staring at her?"

"Huh? Oh, I was just thinking about something." Arnold admitted, as Gerald glared at him. "Of course you were. Dare I ask?"

"What? I took your advice...or tried to at least." he began to explain, while his best friend raised an eyebrow.

"Let me guess, your guilt got the best of you, and you tried to reach her in a softer way."

Arnold sighed at his accurate assumption, thinking to himself _am I really that predictable?_

"I figured if I made a simple gesture towards her, like cooking her dinner, it would show how much I wanted things to work between us."

"Arnold, I think you've done more than enough to prove that! I told you to guilt her into confessing her info by telling her what you know about the party, not the kitchen."

Rolling his eyes at his friend's negativity, Arnold continued. "Well, my attempt to show my concern for our relationship obviously worked, because she said 'I've got something to tell you.'"

"And did she tell you?" Gerald asked, being skeptical about the story.

"Yeah, but not the way I wanted her to." he replied, as they began searching the store for the candles.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Gerald wondered, when he pointed to the aisle with the candles.

The two began looking at the different colors, shapes, and sizes of them all as Arnold continued his story.

"Well, after things got 'heated' in the kitchen, she wanted to move it to the bedroom." he confessed, watching his friend roll his eyes.

"Then when we went in there, she tied me up aga…" he tried explaining before Gerald jumped in.

"Man, you better limit the details. I don't need therapy! Even if it's from you!"

Rolling his eyes, he replied "I was going to say, she tied me up to tell me why she was acting so strange."

"Why would she need to tie you up for that?" Gerald asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I guess it was hard enough revealing her feelings, without knowing what my reaction to them would be. If I hadn't been tied up, she would have had to worry about me running off or doing anything to make it harder for her to confess to me." he explained, almost forgetting he wasn't just speaking to himself.

Gerald was actually beginning to enjoy looking at the candles. He didn't know how two people could claim to love each other so much, but still have such a hard time showing it.

"So, what exactly did she end up confessing to you?"

"When she was quiet around me for a day, it was because her mind flashed back to the night of the party." he began as Gerald shook his head.

"Man, that girl was out before any of us. What could she have remembered?"

"Apparently she slept walked in the middle of the night to a party at the arcade that was for her manager." he explained, not caring about the candles.

"Okay, so what made her think you would care?"

"Well, her memory made it seem to her like she slept with him." he began as Gerald lifted an eyebrow.

"So, did she?"

"No. Her manager said she handed him her ring, then left." Arnold frowned, while Gerald's eyes lit. "Well, now you've got it back. You two can finally put this mess behind you!"

"Actually, her manager gave it away. He doesn't know who it was he gave it to." Arnold admitted as Gerald shook his head. "Mm... !"

"So, she tied you up thinking you'd be upset that there was a possibility she slept with this guy?" Gerald asked, hoping to get to the bottom of the story.

Arnold began to rub his neck, as he watched his friend set the candles down.

"No, she's still freaked out by the dream she had last week. She thinks the fact that she lost it, after dreaming about telling me to forget about her, then Jason coming into our lives has some kind of crazy meaning behind it." he sighed as Gerald slapped his face.

"That's it! I'm taking my college fund and buying her a new one!"

"Gerald, I had to watch her cry beside me. Not being able to comfort her, all I could do was listen to her worry about the terrible things she felt it may have meant. Then think to myself, she may be about to leave me!" Arnold exclaimed, not caring about the apartment anymore.

"Arnold, if she only believes in your relationship as long as she had that thing, she's more messed up than your psychology books will ever know!" Gerald insisted.

Shaking his head, turning towards the candles, Arnold finally decided on some green and blue ones.

Gerald raised an eyebrow as he couldn't help but give his opinion. "I'm shocked you're not going with the pink ones."

"These match our eyes." Arnold pointed out, while Gerald crossed his arms. "I'm sorry I said anything."

Meanwhile, the girls were looking for a heater Helga thought would be acceptable to keep in the bedroom.

"Crimity! I don't see why he needs one of these. The guy is hot enough after our little workouts every night!" she scowled.

Phoebe couldn't help but smile as she asked "So, how did it go when you told him everything last night?"

Shutting her eyes a moment, Helga let out a deep sigh. "Not so bad I guess. You know football head doesn't judge people too harshly."

"No he doesn't, which is why he wishes you would trust him with any personal information or dilemma you may be going through at any point in your life." Phoebe explained as Helga frowned, glancing at the heaters.

"I'm working on it Pheebs. I just feel so lost. I don't like the ironic events that have occured since that stupid party! Sheesh!" she clenched her fists as her friend asked.

"Well, have your feelings for Arnold changed since then? If not, it doesn't matter what all has taken place since then." Phoebe explained, as Helga sighed.

"No, they haven't. I may technically be a Shortman now, but this Pataki pride of mine is never going to leave me."

While the girls continued going through the heaters, the boys went to look at the picture frames. Arnold smiled at the different styles while Gerald shook his head. "Man, why do you always pick the girl activities? Candles and pictures?"

"Come on Gerald. You'd want a frame for your wedding photo too." Arnold pointed out.

"True, but I'd just get my wife to pick it out for me." he replied, as Arnold rolled his eyes.

While Arnold was picking out some gold and silver frames he thought would look nice, he heard "Oh these are perfect!"

The two of them turned the corner to see Rhonda looking at the candles. "Hey Rhonda, what are you doing here?" Arnold asked as she looked in his direction.

"Hey Arnold! I'm just picking out some candles for my bathroom."

"Your bathroom?" Gerald asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Ummm yes! Who doesn't have a scented bathroom or takes a bath without a romantically lit atmosphere?" she asked, placing a hand on her waist.

"I can only imagine?" Gerald replied, crossing his arms at her.

Arnold knew Gerald was fed up with his romantic drama, but he wasn't going to drop it. That being the case, he asked "Gerald, why don't you go find the girls. See if they've pick out a heater yet."

"Whatever man." he replied as Rhonda turned up her nose.

"Listen Rhonda, I have a question." Arnold admitted, rubbing his neck.

"If you and Helga are already getting a divorce, you cannot publically announce it for at least a year. It will make me look terrible!" she warned him.

Rolling his eyes at her selfishness, he said "No, I was actually going to ask if you had seen her wedding ring?"

"Oh yes. Quite a poor choice I must say. I mean, plain gold with no diamond to go with it? A complete cry for help!" she exclaimed.

Letting out an annoyed sigh, he replied "No, I meant do you know where it is? She lost it the night of the party."

"No, I haven't seen it. Perhaps it's for the best." she said, watching Arnold frown at her.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Look Arnold, as badly as I need this on my resume, I can't help but give my honest opinion. If you insist on living the rest of your life with that girl, do you REALLY want the world knowing about it? I mean, being married to Helga G. Pataki? Again, I'm only saying this because I'm your friend." Rhonda insisted as Arnold felt his rage bubbling inside him.

"Whatever Rhonda. I have to go." he said, walking past her.

Gerald didn't care to join the girls alone. Therefore, he had stayed close enough to listen in on Arnold and Rhonda's intense conversation.

"Mm.. ! That girl better hope supportive attitude isn't a job requirement!" Gerald said, patting his friend on the back.

"Let's go see how the girls are doing Gerald." Arnold sighed, walking to the other side of the store.

The guys made it there to see Helga and Phoebe heading for the shower mat section with a tiny space heater.

"Looks like you found your heater Helga." Arnold said, with a smile on his face.

"I think you mean YOUR heater. You were the one who requested it." she scoffed.

Gerald shook his head at her negativity while Phoebe smiled, knowing her best friend was only having fun with him.

"Yeah, I guess so. Ready to find a shower mat?" Arnold asked.

Helga then pointed a finger, replying "I think all you have to do is turn around."

Blushing from embarrassment, he stood there, watching his friends walk passed him. Helga went to search the rubber mats she knew they wouldn't have to worry about sliding across the floor on. Phoebe and Gerald were eyeing the soft colorful mats.

When Arnold saw Helga looking as though she was taking an interest in it, he went over to say "Get one to match these candles. We'll stick them in the bathroom, instead of the kitchen."

Helga turned to cock her brow at him, replying "Why would we stick those in the bathroom? A few light splashes from whatever shower or water filled event taking place in there, and they'd be out."

Wrapping his arms around her, he said "These are scented though. After lighting them, they'll make the room smell almost as sweet as your vanilla scented hair."

Her knees began to weaken as she felt him rub his cheek against hers, squeezing her tight. Their friends watched from afar, as Phoebe suggested to Gerald "Perhaps they would be interested in getting lunch together?"

"Man, we better hurry and ask them, before I lost my appetite." he insisted.

Phoebe then approached the happy couple when their lips were about to meet. "Would you two be interested in getting lunch?"

Helga whipped her head towards Phoebe, while Arnold glanced that way. "Huh? Oh sure Pheebs. Let's go pay for this stuff."

The group set the supplies they were anxious to fill the apartment with on the counter as Arnold took Helga's hand in his. Happy as she was to be near him, Helga thought to herself _he does realize he'll need that hand to pay with?_

Finishing ringing them up, the cashier said "That'll be $49.99."

Arnold quickly looked at the cashier, knowing they needed to take it easy on their spendings.

"Oh umm here you go." he said, watching Helga grin. "Betcha regretting those decorations now, huh football head?"

Taking the receipt and loaded bags in his hand, Arnold kept his eyes on her while he replied "Not for a second."

Helga's eyes fell to meet Arnold's half lidded gaze. Gerald wasn't going to spend the rest of the day looking at this. "So where are we eating?!"

"Huh? Oh, it doesn't matter." Arnold said, not having his mind on anything other than Helga.

"Perhaps we could try the new Japanese restaurant; Teppanyaki. They perform at your table and the food is said to be quite splendid." Phoebe suggested.

"Eh, why not?" Helga shrugged her shoulders as the rest of them nodded in agreement.

"Let's take this stuff back to the apartment first." Arnold suggested as he was interrupted "Why? So you two can try out your romantic bathroom attire?" Gerald asked.

"Zip it Geraldo!" Helga demanded, pointing a finger in his direction, as Arnold carried the bags for the two of them.

"I've think we've known each other long enough to know you're nothing but talk Pataki. You may act tough, but you'd never do anything to hurt anyone." he replied as her eyes widened. Lowering her finger, she thought back to her dream when she was walking and talking with Gerald in the jungle about Arnold.

Slowly lowering her finger, Phoebe noticed the petrified look in her eyes as she asked "Are you alright Helga?"

Before she could answer, Arnold's phone beeped. Putting the bags down, he said "It's Jason."

Helga gulped as she thought to herself _Is it just a coincidence he's texting when a piece of my dream was brought up? Does it mean if I lost Arnold, it wouldn't matter; I still wouldn't hurt people, because I was a sensitive person to begin with?_

"What's the message say?" Gerald asked, not caring to notice Helga's frozen behavior.

"Jason's going to be busy tonight, so if we still want our cooking lesson today Helga, it has to be now." Arnold sighed, not liking the idea of backing out on Gerald and Phoebe.

Helga felt her knees weaken and her blood run cold. Everyone turned to look at her, letting her make the decision. "Uhh… I...I guess he can come over now." she gulped "The four of us can eat out tomorrow."

"Well, alright Helga. Enjoy your free cooking lesson!" Phoebe insisted, waving goodbye to her.

"See ya Arnold! I don't want to catch you wearing an apron tomorrow!" Gerald warned him, as they did their secret handshake.

"Whatever you say Gerald." Arnold replied, being to excited about his lesson with his wife to roll his eyes.

He and Helga headed home, both of them with different things on their minds. Arnold happy to be learning something new to do for his wife. Helga still trying to convince herself her dream meant nothing.

They made it home just as Arnold received another text from Jason. "He'll be here in a few minutes."

"Oh umm okay." Helga said, sitting down on the couch. Arnold then noticed the nervous look in her eyes from across the room. Coming to sit beside her, he noticed the tension built in her, with her legs pressed tightly together, hands folded, back hunched over, and eyes widened.

He placed a hand on her thigh, feeling her jump a bit. "Are you okay?"

"I...I..." she began, not knowing if it would be wise to continue. She already told him about the dream. All she could do was get over herself and trust his words that he would never stop loving her.

Suddenly, a knock came to the door. Arnold anxiously got up to answer it, forgetting the fearful look in his wife's eyes.

"Hey Arnold! How are you?" Jason asked, coming in with a bag of groceries.

"We're doing fine. We had just finished shopping for some new home accessories when you texted me."

"Sounds cool. I brought some groceries and made a list of recipes that are good to start when you're just learning how to cook.

Grilled Cheese

Roasted Chicken

Roasted Vegetables

Brownies

Maccoroni and Cheese

Steak

Guacomole

Pasta and Tomato Sauce

Chocolate chip cookies

Pulped Pork

Fritata

Chicken Thighs

Sauteed Greens

Pancakes

Mussels

Whipped Cream

Burgers

Mashed Potatoes

Blanched Vegetables

Rice

Baked Fish

Beef Stew

Cake

Frosting

Salad Dressing

Arnold reviewed the list while Helga sat on the couch thinking to herself _Is it safe to be around him? Should I talk to Pheebs? Maybe I'm just over-reacting?_

"This looks like it should be a lot of fun Helga!" Arnold said, looking in her direction, not noticing she hadn't stopped trembling.

"I'll uhh be right back." she replied, racing to the bedroom.

Reviewing the list, Arnold turned to Jason and said "My grandma always makes pancakes for breakfast. She can't seem to do it without acting like our kitchen takes place in a western environment though."

Jason couldn't help but laugh just as Helga was re-entering the room. "Hey Helga! You ready for your first cooking lesson?"

"I guess." she said, shrugging her shoulders, slowly approaching the kitchen.

Arnold motioned for her to stand beside him, although something about between directly in between him and Jason didn't feel right to her. Either way, she stood beside him, as he wrapped his arms tight around her waist. This didn't make it easy for her to concentrate on the lesson.

"Now, we'll melt some butter into a nonstick skillet over a medium heated stove." Jason started as Arnold listened attentively. Helga would have been happy just eating a bowl of cereal.

"Next we can add the bread slices and cook until they're brown. This shouldn't take more than two minutes." Jason informed them.

Wishing she could speed up the process, Helga asked "Is it not possible to just microwave it?"

Arnold lifted an eyebrow as he asked "I thought the whole point of this was not having to depend on the microwave?"

Jason smiled at their discussion, as he replied "Don't worry. You'll get the hang of it. Next, move the bread to the cutting board, and place the cheese inside the toasted sides of the bread."

Arnold didn't care if this meant he was the housewife. He was just happy to be learning something new to help them along in their marriage.

"Finally, stick another piece of butter in the skillet and reduce it to medium low. Add the sandwich and cook. Flip both sides until their brown." Jason explained, as Arnold was anxious to try it.

When he saw Helga walking away, he asked "Where are you going? Don't you want to make one?"

Rolling her eyes, she replied "It's a sandwich not a wedding cake? I think I can remember melt the butter, stack the cheese, flip the bread. Sheesh!"

After relinquishing her anger, Helga went to be alone with her thoughts in her bedroom. Arnold stood in the kitchen with Jason, wondering what could have just upset her.

"Umm I'm not sure what she's upset about?" Arnold said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Has anything stressful happened lately?" Jason asked, fixing their sandwiches on some plates.

Arnold began to scratch his head, as he replied "Nothing big has happened for her at work yet. Although, we have been worried about getting sued by someone we knew in high school."

Sitting down at the table with their food, Jason waited to hear more.

"Helga punched someone named Matt when he wouldn't stop trying to feel her up. Apparently he still has a few months left to press assault charges if he pleases. She's been trying to find something to prepare us in case he tries anything."

Setting his sandwich aside, Jason replied "My roommate is a lawyer at City Hall. He could probably help out!"

"Is his name Mark?" Arnold asked, unenthusiastically.

"Yeah! How did you know?" Jason wondered.

"He's Helga's new manager. Mayor Dixie didn't have time to continue working with her, so now Mark is helping her. I told Helga this would be the perfect chance to stay ahead of Matt. I don't know how things are coming along though." Arnold sighed as Jason replied "Don't worry, I'll do my best to help out. I'm not sure what I can do though."

Arnold smiled at the thought of someone caring so much about his and Helga's relationship. After a few more minutes spent talking about the following week, Jason decided he better be going.

"We'll cook again Next Saturday. You can keep this list in case you'd like to try anything yourself before then." he said, handing it to Arnold.

"Sounds great! See you Monday!" Arnold said, shutting the door behind him.

After reviewing the list, he decided it wouldn't hurt to clean up the kitchen. Although only two people were living there, there was no telling how quickly the kitchen could become a mess if no one stayed on top of it. As he cleaned, Arnold thought to himself _I wonder what got Helga so upset all of a sudden?_

Once he had finished scrubbing the last bit of cheese out of the skillet, he went into the bedroom to see Helga curled up into a ball on their bed, with her hands by her side. Only he knew how sweet she appeared to be at times.

Sitting down beside her, he began to brush the hair back out of her face. Feeling someone touching her caused her to roll onto her back, but not wake up completely. Staring down at her sweet, tired face, he thought to himself _I shouldn't bother her, but it's so hard not to touch her._

Helga then began to bat her eyelashes, feeling a set of soft lips pressed against hers. After feeling the movement from her eyes, Arnold didn't hesitate to lay on top of her, holding her face in his hands. Feeling him play with her tongue brought on a petrifying feeling. _What if my dream was right? What if we're not meant to be together? What if I did lose my ring for a reason?_

Pulling his lips off hers, he asked "Is something wrong? You seem perturbed."

Her eyes widened as her heart began to pound. She couldn't tell him what was on her mind. _My dream says we're not meant to be together. My drunk side was showing me something my sober side was too blind to see?_

"I'm just tired is all." she made herself say, watching the disappointed look in his eyes form. Putting a hand to his face, he grabbed it and kissed it. Her heart began to flutter as she thought to herself _Oh Arnold my love, how could you not be the one meant for me? What is my messed up mind trying to make my heart see? Why can't I just ignore this overwhelmingly dramatic trait and just let myself be?_

Feeling this, she pulled him in for a passionate kiss. Spinning their tongues harder than her thoughts, she moaned intensely while he sighed deeply. Holding her head, he began to rub their noses together. Pressing their faces tight enough as though they were breathing each other's air.

She began to slowly reach for his pants, when she suddenly felt a tight grip on her wrists. Flipping her arms back to pin her down, he began to suck her neck. Kissing her lower towards her chest until he heard her say "Please don't leave me!"

Looking up at her, with a confused expression, he asked "Why would I?"

"Because, because, you're the only one who knows how weak I am. That my bad girl attitude is just an act. If I lost you, I would never have anyone to comfort me in my loneliest hours, support me during my hardest days, love me through my indecisive lifestyle."

Lacing their fingers together, he held his face against hers. Resting against her forehead, he said "You maybe unsure of yourself at times, but the last thing you are is weak. You raised yourself when your family neglected you. You came to school every day despite how the other girls treated you. You told me your true feelings, after having no idea what mine may be for you."

Seeing a weak smile form on her face, he asked "So, why didn't you want to cook with me?"

Her eyes widened at this. "There's just something about being around Jason that makes me uncomfortable. I don't know why I can't get over that freakin' dream, but I just can't!"

Arnold then kissed her lips, sucking on them a bit, until he finally asked "What do you think it means?"

Waiting for a response, he added "Does being around ME make you uncomfortable?"

Lifting her head up, she exclaimed "Don't be ridiculous! Why would you think that?"

Letting her go, he replied "Because instead of trusting you don't need a ring for a successful marriage, all you can think about is the meaning behind that dream. Like losing it is a sign that being with me is a mistake."

Hearing these depressing words come from him made her replay the fearful look in his eyes, the night she told him about it. How could she hurt, let alone question, someone who found a new way every day to prove his love for her?

Before allowing another thought to release his lips, she gripped his collar, pulling him in for a tight, lingering kiss. Circling his mouth, moaning deeply, she thought back to their wedding night; the deep connection the two of them felt for one another the night their love was sealed. Normally, she wouldn't think much of him not attempting to return the force behind her aggressive behavior. This was a delicate situation however. She couldn't risk losing him all due to her weak faith, low-self esteem and misguided thoughts.

After noticing the weak effort put in on his end, she released his lips. Staring into his hurt eyes, she listened to him say "Do you feel that way about me?"

"Arnold! I'm worried it's a warning something may end up happening between us, which is the last thing I would ever want!" she exclaimed sitting up, as Arnold gave her a look of disbelief.

"Every time I had a psychotic dream as a kid...it came true in some bizarre way!" she began, as he interrupted her.

"What are you talking about?"

"Well for starters football head, the love potion Madam Blanch sold me put me to sleep quicker than a bottle of Z-quil. I dreamt about my locket with your picture shattering, a bowl of ice cream melting, me falling away from all my poetry books. Then I woke up the next day to find I no longer had feelings for you!"

Arnold took note of her rage as he grabbed her hand. "Helga, you were only nine. Even you said those potions were a joke."

Rolling her eyes at his sense of reasoning, she went on. "Also when you were doing that lame magic show for our friends. I ran off..." she began before being interrupted.

"Trust me, I remember. It only took 48 attempts to bring you back."

"Shut up football head! Maybe you could be a little less concerned about your tricks and more about the near concussion I had after hitting a telephone pole. I dreamt about how I don't treat people well enough...including you! You can't tell me you disagree with that?"

Placing a hand on her face, he said "People dream about things that happen frequently. Not always about things they need to worry about."

"Or when I played a prank on Olga by changing her college grades. I saw you come to me in a dream, saying 'Do the right thing' Mr. Goody Two Shoes. What do you think happened?!" she exclaimed, as he rolled his eyes at her.

"I'm sure you would have ended up doing the right thing anyway." he tried encouraging her. After seeing her cock her brow at him, he tried coming up with another supportive piece of advice.

A moment of silence took over while Arnold watched the concerned look on Helga's face. She then noticed his face light up, when he asked "Wasn't that the day you told me in the lunch line you switched her grades?"

Helga rolled her eyes as she replied "Uh doi! I just said that was what the dream was about? Sheesh!"

"Well, people dream about what took place during the day. Which explains why I was talking to you about her in your dream."

Sighing deeply, Helga didn't know what to think about the next dream.

"What about my marriage dream when we were kids? The last thing you expected was to marry me, but it happened." she reminded him, nearly crying as he squeezed her hands tightly.

Looking into her eyes, Arnold assured her "We didn't get married because you dreamt about it Helga. We got married because I fell in love with you!"

Helga closed her eyes, tilting her head as tears began to stream down her face. She didn't know what to think of herself. Not just because she couldn't figure out the meaning behind this dream, but because of the weak person she felt it was turning her into. Arnold was the only one who knew about her sensitive side. Now it was as though that was the only type of side she possessed. Her confidentiality was shot. Her ability to take what she wanted, whenever she wanted, from whoever she wanted seemed to be no more.

She then felt a set of soft hands on her wet face, wiping her tears away. Looking up at him with her blurry vision, she was filled with guilt. The last thing she wanted was for things to end between them. Helga just wasn't the optimistic type. Hopefully, he'd always be willing to remember that was one of the things she needed him for.

"I'll keep doing what I can to remind you you have nothing to worry about. I wish you'd give me a little emotional support though." he kissed her softly, sending a weak smile her way.

Returning his smile, she replied "You got it football head."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Fixer Elixer

The two awoke the next morning, happy their weekend hadn't ended yet. Holding her in his arms, Arnold asked "How do you feel?" emotionally speaking.

Helga moved closer, not that there was much more space to fill between them. Pressing her warm lips against his, she thought to herself _I feel so stupid for ever questioning myself! Arnold's the only reason I've come as far as I have in life. I probably would have killed myself years ago if it hadn't been for him._

Each second she kept her lips against his gave him more and more relief. Relief that he had finally reached her; she had nothing to worry about.

Releasing his lips, she let out a comforting sigh. "I feel alright. Still stressed about some things..." she began, as his eyes widened.

Reaching for her hand, rubbing it quickingly, he listening to her finished "But not about us."

Lowering his eyes with relief, he asked "What are you stressed about?"

A disappointed look then formed on her face. "I don't know what we're going to do about Matt? Mark's looking for information and Matt may just be all talk about coming after us. He still has time to come after us though."

Arnold began to rub her shoulder, watching her eyes fall away from his. "Don't worry. Everything's going to be okay."

After giving her a short, sweet kiss, the two sat up to get dressed. "What fun thing would you like to do today?" Arnold asked, as he stood up to get dressed.

Stretching her arms, Helga replied "We did promise Pheebs and Geraldo we'd try out that new Teppanyaki place."

Turning to raise an eyebrow at her, Arnold asked. "How did you remember the name of it?"

"Uhh because she texted it to me, doi!" she exclaimed, holding her phone up to him.

Rolling his eyes, he replied "Alright, I'll text Gerald and see if he's free. Maybe after that we could swing by the video store for a movie. They haven't had a chance to enjoy the apartment yet."

"Eh, why not?" she said, heading into the kitchen.

Grabbing the cereal, she asked "So, when are you going to learn to make me some five star pancakes. Not that I miss her or anything, but that grandma of yours did come in handy for cooking!"

Arnold went to grab a few bowls for the two of them. "I don't think Jason has those on the list until week fourteen."

Nearly spitting out the handful of cereal she had anxiously taken from the box, she replied "What?! Are you kidding?! As future president I'm ordering you to have those things learned by Saturday!"

"Umm the class is for you too. It's not my fault you ran off into the bedroom. By the way, what were you doing in there?"

"Just texting Pheebs about the restaurant. You gotta problem with that?!" she exclaimed as he raised an eyebrow at her.

"I guess not. Although it doesn't make sense to ask her about eating out when we already had someone showing us how to cook." he replied, pouring them their cereal.

Sitting down at the table, she snapped "Will you EVER stay out of other people's business?"

Looking up from his bowl, he pointed out "We're married. Your business IS my business." Watching her roll his eyes at him, he moved closer to her. "Besides, you told me last night never to leave you. It would be kind of hard to follow through on that request if I was going to stay out of your business."

Eating her cereal faster, not making eye contact with him, she heard him whisper "I also don't see why I would feel the need to take breakfast orders from President Pataki after she told me she was weak last night."

Watching her hands shake, with her spoon full of sugary cereal making its way towards her mouth, he asked "Is that really the sweetest breakfast you can think of?"

Her eyes widened, nearly dropping her spoon. Setting it down for her, he turned her face towards his. Feeling him rest his lips against hers, she said "I think we've made dessert more times than breakfast in here."

Ignoring her remark, he pulled her in, wrapping his tongue around hers. Tasting the sugary flakes inside her, he let out a deep sigh through his nose. Feeling his soft breath against her sent a chill throughout her body, that made her jump into his lap.

His eyes flashed open, unprepared, while she could have cared less about falling out of the chair. Arnold held on tightly to both the chair and table, knowing he was always taking a fifty fifty shot with her being the aggressive one whether he started it or not.

Helga held his face, sitting in his lap, thinking to herself. _I don't know what that dream meant, but I know my love for Arnold will never change._

Not thinking anything could ruin the moment, they heard Arnold's phone beep. Helga irritably released his lips as she scowled "Crimity! MUST he ruin our moments?!" knowing who it had to be.

Stepping off of Arnold, she watched him grab his phone, listening to him say "It's Gerald."

He then took notice of her rolling her eyes with a hand on her hip as she scowled "Well doi!"

Feeling as though he should have waited to text about lunch, he began to scratch his head. "Umm he says their free to eat, whenever we'd like to meet them."

Helga sighed, knowing the moment had been ruined. "Alright football head, let's get going."

Arnold then texted his friend to let him know they were heading to the restaurant. Making their way outside, Helga couldn't help but ask "So, what got you started in there? Afterall, I was the one shoveling down the sugar." she smirked.

Beginning to blush, he replied "I guess it just hurt when you told me to stay out of your business. I really do wish you'd let me in more, and I don't just mean physically."

Taking his hand in hers, she began to rub it. "I'm sorry Arnold. I've just always been a private person, and old habits are hard to break."

"Well, I guess I did vow to respect your privacy. It just hurts being excluded from everything. Marriage is about helping your partner in their hardest times. That isn't the easiest thing to do though if you don't know what's bothering them." he explained with a disappointed look.

Not knowing what to say, she continued to rub his hand all the way to the restaurant. Hoping to show some sign that just because she was secretive, it didn't mean she didn't care for him.

Finally, the two of them made it to see Gerald and Phoebe waiting outside for them. "Hey Arnold! What's up?"

"Hey Gerald. How's it going?"

"Not bad, so how was your cooking lesson?" he asked, crossing his arms, still not believing his friend was doing something so feminine.

Helga began to blush as Arnold looked in her direction. "It was good. We made some grilled cheese sandwiches."

"Grilled cheese sandwiches? Man, if you're going to be that simple why not just order take-out?" Gerald insisted as Helga replied "Ya got that right!"

Arnold rolled his eyes, while Phoebe finally spoke up. "So, you didn't enjoy your lesson at all?"

Helga wasn't sure how to respond, seeing she didn't stick around for it. "Uhhh I guess it wasn't too terrible. I mean if football head decides to grocery shop for anything decent, that can be my emergency dinner."

"Whatever you say Helga." Arnold sighed, as the four of them walked inside.

"Welcome to Teppanyaki!" the hostess immediately greeted them, seeing them walk through the door.

"Hi, could we get a table for four please?" Arnold requested.

"Right this way!" she said, grabbing them four menus. Leading them to their table, the four of them looked around the restaurant. The decorative red and yellow striped walls, the crystal blue ceiling with a neon sign that read Teppanyaki, the disco music playing in the background, and a floor with glittered tiles.

Gerald raised an eyebrow at Arnold as he said "Are you sure this is a Japanese restaurant?"

Shrugging his shoulders, he thought to himself _Phoebe suggested it, why are you asking me?_

The hostess sat them at the table where they would soon see the performing chef.

"Here are your menus. Your chef will be with your shortly!" she said, walking away.

"It's too bad they don't have any of that old, smelly, runny cheese that Chez Paris has here." Gerald, said looking at the menu.

Smacking her face, Helga muttered "Oh brother!"

Hoping not to turn this into a stressful day for her, he asked "So, Helga and I were thinking about grabbing a movie from the video store to take back to the apartment. Would you guys like to come? You haven't had a chance to spend any time there yet."

"That would be delightful!" Phoebe exclaimed, while Gerald and Helga continued searching the menu for something they considered to be edible.

"The only thing on here I recognize is rice. If I wanted something that boring, I could have just stayed home and eaten one of my brother's protein bars!" Gerald said with a disgusted look.

"There are plenty of other American related dishes Gerald. For instance, the Soba Noodles are actually another form of spaghetti." Phoebe pointed out.

"Hmm...okay. I guess I'll try it." he said, raising an eyebrow.

"What about you Helga?" Arnold asked anxiously, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I guess I'll go with these Udon Noodles." she suggested.

Arnold began to read over the menu, and couldn't help giving his opinion. "Are you sure? It says they're pretty chewy. You remember the tough time you had with the bacon every day during lunch at school."

Helga began to glare at him, as Gerald interrupted "Man, if you two act out another 'helpful' lunch scene...I swear I'm never eating with you again!"

"Oh put a sock in it!" she scowled, turning her attention back to Arnold. "And I can chew just fine football head!"

"Well okay...good luck." he couldn't help but laugh.

"What oh so impressive dish may I ask will you be trying?" she scowled.

Scratching his head, taking a quick glance at the menu, he said "I guess I'll try the Ramen. It looks mostly like soup."

"Pttss...baby." Helga muttered.

Their chef then appeared as the four of them anxiously awaited to see how great a show this would be.

Arnold placed his hand on Helga's, wondering if she was as happy as she appeared. "Are you excited?" he couldn't help but ask.

"I'm just anxious to see if we'll be getting our money's worth." she replied, as he rolled his eyes at her. "Whatever you say Helga."

Watching the chopped onions being formed and stacked into a volcano, Arnold said "Jason has cooked vegetable on our starter list. It's too bad we can't borrow this place to practice."

Helga rolled his eyes at his unrealistic way of thinking. "Get real head boy!"

Watching the sizzling noodles being placed on the table, Gerald asked "Doesn't he need a bowl of water and some sort of timer for those?"

Crossing her arms, Helga snarled "Now who's the feminine one tall hair boy?"

"The oil on the table helps moisten the noodles." Phoebe pointed out, while Arnold continued to keep his eyes on Helga. Wrapping his arm around her, he didn't notice the annoyed look Gerald had sent his way.

 _Man, if those two try anything, I swear…_

"So when is our food going to be done? I'm starving!" Helga exclaimed, beginning to lose interest in the show.

"I believe the performer has one last trick. Flipping the shrimp into our mouths." Phoebe informed them as Helga cocked her brow.

"Wait, we have to catch the shrimp? Pttss...twenty bucks says it lands in Geraldo's hair as opposed to his mouth!" Helga laughed.

"Not another bet Helga." Arnold pleaded, while Gerald simply shook his head.

"The performer appears to be ready Arnold." Phoebe said, while Arnold appeared to be nervous. He wasn't prepared to participate in the show. Leaning back, the shrimp landed on his nose, sliding down his cheek.

The table laughed as Helga said "Pttss...guess I should have put my money where YOUR mouth was!"

Motioning in Helga's direction, the chef flipped one towards her face as she leaned back with her arms crossed. Arnold watched her catch it, as if she had been practicing all her life. "Piece of cake!"

After everyone did their best not to drop their jaws, Phoebe raised a hand to the chef, seeing it was her turn. "None for me thank you."

Arnold lowered his head, thinking to himself _Wish I'd thought of that_

Everyone then turned their heads toward Gerald as a wide grin formed on Helga's face. _Pizza night all over again!_

Gerald leaned his head back, catching it, savoring every chew to annoy Helga. " .mmm!"

Turning her head away, she smirked "Pttss...lucky catch!"

The food was then served to them, while Helga didn't wait to dive in. Gerald did his best to trust Phoebe's recommendation, although was hesitant about how it would taste. "I promise, it's quite similar to American pasta Gerald."

"You mean, like Pataki's way of eating American pasta." he pointed out, as everyone turned to see hanging noodles being slurped into her mouth.

After her fourth or fifth bite, she realized she couldn't handle a whole fork full in her mouth at once. Arnold noticed the noodles hanging from her mouth, as though she was trying to bite them off.

"Having trouble chewing?" he laughed, knowing he was approaching dangerous territory.

Finally managing to bite it off, she glared, until was finished chewing. "So what if I am?"

"I told you not to order that." he smiled, with half lidded eyes.

Gerald leaned in towards Phoebe "Those two better not start what I think they're going to start!"

Pointing a finger at Arnold, Helga scowled "I told you to mind your own business!"

Lifting an eyebrow, he asked "When did you say that?"

Helga thought back a moment, stirring her noodles, not recalling ever actually saying it to him. "Oh shut up and eat."

"I think I should be helping you eat." he corrected her, watching the noodles hang from her mouth.

"Oh boy, here it comes!" Gerald said to Phoebe, while she didn't seem to be bothered by their friends' open loving attitude.

Seeing her head hang low with a stray noodle dangling from her mouth, Arnold turned her face towards his. "Let me get that for you."

 _Please don't_ Gerald thought to himself, knowing there was nothing he could do about it.

Pulling the noodle in with his tongue, Arnold bit it off. Knowing she was still working on a mouthful of noodles, he decided not to make it anymore intimate than that.

Taking a huge guzzle of her yahoo to wash what was left in her mouth down, Helga said "I was doing just fine on my own."

Arnold rolled his eyes at her ungratefulness. "Then why did it take you five minutes to chew each fork full, and no guarantee you would bite off the remaining piece of that helping?

"I gotta say, you two are making me rethink joining you at your place after this. I can't imagine what kind of intimate arguments have been taking place in that kitchen of yours." Gerald wondered, lifting an eyebrow.

Arnold and Helga began to blush, forgetting about their 'food fight.' Just then, their waiter came back with the check.

"Well, I hope you all enjoyed lunch. I thought it was quite exquisite." Phoebe said, while the rest of them got up from the table.

"Those noodles didn't turn out so bad. Maybe you and I can come here again. Without Lady and the Tramp." Gerald said, motioning at their friends.

Rolling her eyes after hearing his remark, Helga scowled "Yeah, yeah. So, we going to the video store or what?!"

"Man, I guess. I'm not eating dinner with you two though!" Gerald warned them, while even Phoebe rolled her eyes.

Arnold took Helga's hand, as the two left the restaurant. "So, does anyone know what movie they'd like to see?" he asked.

"I've heard there's an excellent documentary on nutrition." Phoebe suggested.

"No offense Pheebs, but it's a little early to fall asleep." Helga couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"How about the new Pop Daddy movie?!" Gerald exclaimed.

"What the heck is that?" Helga asked, cocking her brow.

"Gerald and I used to watch it when we were kids. I'm shocked they chose to make a movie of it now, after if went off the air five or six years ago." Arnold explained.

"Pttss...whatever. It's gotta be better than that documentary crap." she replied.

Making it to the video store, Arnold said "I haven't been in here in awhile."

"That's probably because they have these new things we can no longer afford call satellite TV and Netflix." Helga pointed out as he rolled his eyes at her witty remark.

"So, where's this Bop Baby?" Helga asked with a hand on her hip, while Gerald glared at her.

"I think you mean Pop Daddy! And he's over here!"

Shrugging her shoulders, the three of them followed Gerald. "So Helga, how are things proceeding with your research on Matt?"

"I guess I'll know more tomorrow." Helga said, annoyed at what she felt to be a pointless question. It was still the weekend; she hadn't seen Mark since Friday.

"I've Got It!" Gerald exclaimed, racing back with the movie.

"Crimity! It's a disc, not a diamond! Sheesh!" she scowled, covering her ears.

Shaking his head at her, he replied "Helga, by the end of the day, you'll be calling yourself Poptaki!"

Pointing a finger, she scowled "You looking for another bet Geraldo?!"

"I didn't see you pay me for that shrimp catching contest." he glared.

"Fine! Loser makes a batch of brownies for the rest of us." she scowled, watching his eyes widen.

"No way am I cooking in your kitchen, and I'm certainly not watching you two cook together!"

"Who said anything about ME cooking? Arnold here's the Martha Stuart in the family." she pointed in his direction as he began to scratch his head. "Umm Helga."

"Zip it bucko!" she scowled.

"Even so, I'm not cooking in your kitchen." Gerald said, with crossed arms, as Arnold rolled his eyes at his friend's overly dramatic behavior.

"Bake 'em in your own freakin' kitchen! The living room! Heck, no one said anything about location! Sheesh!" she scowled.

"Whatever you say Helga." Gerald shook his head, as the four of them headed towards the apartment.

Making it there, Arnold went to grab everyone drinks from the kitchen, while the rest of them took a seat on the couch.

"I must say Helga, you and Arnold have created quite a lovely environment." Phoebe said, complimenting what they had done with the place.

Leaning back on the couch, Helga too looked around and said "Yeah, it's not too shabby."

Arnold then came in with the drinks and some popcorn for everybody, while Gerald wasted no time putting in the movie.

"Alright! Let's get this party started!" he shouted, while Helga leaned back with her arms crossed. "You mean, let's get this betting started."

Arnold rolled his eyes, wrapping his arm around his wife. Not thinking about the night he maybe spending cooking, he decided to just sit back and enjoy the movie. It brought back memories of days he spent with Gerald after school watching the TV series together.

Although he didn't want to ruin the chances of Helga enjoying the movie, he couldn't help but interrupt "Hey, you remember the time Timberly ate those forty boxes of chocolate turtles when we were watching this?"

Gerald smacked his face as Helga cocked her brow. "Forty freakin' boxes?! Is her stomach as big as your head?!"

"As if that wasn't bad enough, she ruined the next forty boxes we remade for our customers!" Gerald explained to the girls.

"How'd she do that? By throwing up the first batch onto them?" Helga scoffed.

Gerald rolled his eyes, as he replied "She dumped a bunch of salt into each batch!"

"Oh my. That couldn't have tasted too good." Phoebe said.

"Pttss...ya think?" Helga scoffed, turning her attention back towards the television.

"She was just trying to help." Arnold said, knowing he should let Helga focus on the movie.

 _Helga normally likes action movies...or just anything not romantic; it wouldn't shock me if she liked this._

"Hey Geraldo, his voice sounds worse than yours did when you blew out your windpipes!" she exclaimed.

Arnold and Phoebe couldn't help but laugh, thinking back to their school musical 'On Moonlight Bay.'

"Hey man, I killed my solo when the time came!" Gerald reminded her, watching her roll her eyes. "Pttss...please!"

The movie eventually ended and Gerald jumped up to sing his long missed them song "Pop..Pop...Pop Daddy!"

"So, what did you think Helga?" Phoebe asked.

Before Helga could list the number of things wrong with the movie she had been waiting to complain about, she felt Arnold begin to rub her thigh.

"Yeah, how'd you like it?" he asked, as she turned to look at his half lidded eyes.

Cooking with him didn't seem like such a bad idea. Especially not if it was something chocolate.

"Eh, it was okay." she admitted as Gerald's eyes widened. Pointing a finger in her face, he exclaimed, "I'll be expecting those brownies tomorrow!"

"Yeah, yeah! Whatever!" she scowled, watching him and Phoebe head out the door.

After closing it, Arnold turned to see Helga still sitting on the couch. Walking over to her, he sat back down to ask "So, what did you REALLY think of the movie?"

"I don't know? What do you REALLY think of Arnie?" she asked, as he began to scratch his head.

"I don't hate him, as long as he stays away from you." Arnold explained, holding her hand.

"Well then, I didn't hate the movie, as long as I don't have to watch it again." she replied wittingly.

Arnold then pulled her close to kiss her, placing his wet lips around hers. He laid down on top of her, his arms wrapped around her tight. Pressing their noses together, a satisfied sigh released as if they had been laying there quite a while.

Arnold squeezed her tighter, with her arms at her sides, unable to move. She laid there just feeling him move his tongue around her mouth, along with switching the angles of their faces. Every time their faces were forced this closely, it was as though they were breathing as one person. Holding her tongue tight, he could feel the small breaths she was able to take in and out of his nose with her own.

Feeling her struggle, he released her lips, leaving his face against her. Whispering softly, he said "I hope you know I'm never letting you go."

Blushing harshly, she replied "I think you have to if we're going to make those brownies."

Sighing heavily, Arnold pressed their lips together once more. Smacking them softly together, she began to moan. Feeling his lips against hers, she mumbled "I guess we could get some store bought brownies."

Winking at her, he said "That's not what Martha Stewart would do."

Sighing deeply, she tried to sit up, forgetting his arms were around her. "If I let you go, you have to help cook."

"Fine, ya big baby." she scoffed, feeling him loosen his grip on her.

Arnold then headed for the kitchen, while Helga sat at the computer.

"I thought you were going to help me?" he asked.

"Umm unless you have the recipe memorized, I think we'll be needing some directions. Sheesh!" she scowled.

Printing them off, she headed for the kitchen, where he had already pulled out the dishes. "Unless you got some chocolate that isn't syrup, I guess we're going to the store. This thing says we need chocolate chips and cocoa powder."

"We could go to my grandparents. I'm sure they have all the ingredients." Arnold insisted.

Shrugging her shoulders, Helga replied "Eh whatever. Don't forget the vanilla extract. Although I still don't get what is with these cooks putting vanilla into chocolate desserts?"

Arnold grabbed the supplies and headed out the door with Helga. The two walked down the street, one anxious to bake the dessert, the other anxious to eat it.

"So, have you talked to your family recently football head?" Helga asked, watching him carry the supplies.

"I saw grandpa when Jason and I went to make those chocolate shakes." he began as Helga rolled her eyes.

"You mean, the ones you thought I wouldn't be capable of making without vanilla? Pttss...pathetic!" she scoffed.

"Uhh yeah. Then we saw the family at dinner a few days ago." he reminded her, hoping not to upset her.

"Oh yeah, forgot about that." she admitted as the two came up on the boarding house.

"Well, hopefully you haven't forgotten how dangerous this door can be. Don't forget to step back." he warned her.

"Arnold, you're the one who always ends up having to hang on for dear life! Worry about yourself!" she insisted.

"Whatever you say Helga." he replied, knowing she was somewhat right.

After they watched the stream of pets pour past them, they headed into the kitchen. There they saw Phil reading the paper, trying to ignore Pookey's watermelon chopping rendition.

"Hey grandpa. Hey grandma." Arnold waved.

"Hey shortman! How goes it?" Phil asked.

"Not bad. Can we use the kitchen to bake some brownies?"

"You must really hate your kitchen. You keep asking to use ours!" Phil pointed out as Helga rolled her eyes.

"No, we just know you cooking maniacs have more supplies than we do! Sheesh!"

Phil laughed at her negativity. "Haha...ya got that right! Okay shortman, just make sure to leave one for me!"

"Thanks grandpa!" Arnold smiled, watching Phil walk away.

"So, what do you think the odds are of granny choppin seeds in our dessert?" Helga asked.

"Uhh, I think we'll be okay." Arnold replied, merely guessing, while setting the supplies down on the table.

Helga then looked over the instructions as she said "Alright we need, butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, chocolate chips, flour, cocoa powder, and salt."

Standing there as though she was his manager, she waited for him to find and grab everything they needed.

"Alright. We need to preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Then I guess measure how much of each of these ingredients is needed. Would have been a lot easier if they hadn't separated the information like this. Sheesh!" she scowled.

"I got us a mixing bowl and whisk. What's the first step?" Arnold asked.

"Apparently, we need 2.5 tablespoons of melted butter. Then whisk in a cup of sugar for thirty seconds."

"Can I trust you to do it? Or will we have another potato incident?" he couldn't help but tease her.

"Who said I wanted to? I'm here to READ! YOU'RE here to stir!" she exclaimed.

Rolling his eyes, he replied. "I seem to recall, the bet was for you to bake Gerald brownies. I wasn't in it."

"Yet, you're doing it!" she scowled as he shook his head at her. "Whatever you say Helga."

Arnold whisked the ingredients, while Helga read over the directions.

"So, what's next?"

"Now, we need two eggs and two teaspoons of vanilla extract whisked in for one minutes. And it better still taste like chocolate when it's over." she demanded, pointing a finger at him.

"Ya know, when I'm through with my cooking lessons, I'm going to cook myself all sorts of chocolate desserts, and just make you watch me eat them." he threatened.

"You say that like I couldn't just go out and buy myself a treat, which I still can't believe we didn't do in this case." she scowled.

"It's been a minute." he informed her.

"Now this thing says we need to whisk in half a cup of chocolate chips until the texture is smooth." she explained, while he pictured it smeared around her face.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"I can just picture what you'll look like after you eat one of these." he said, watching her glare at him.

"Or what you'll look like, after I smash one in your face!" she scowled.

Shaking his head, he asked "What's left to do...you know, before wasting this on each other's faces?"

"Pttss...these people seem to think a rubber spatula would be a better choice to mix in the rest of these ingredients."

"I think it's because they're thicker." Arnold pointed out as she rolled her eyes.

"Whatever! We need to dump in ¾ cup of flour, ¼ cup of cocoa powder, ½ teaspoon of salt and stir in some chocolate chips that AREN'T melted. I gotta say, I was wrong to be skeptical about their strength of chocolate flavoring."

"Wow! Helga G. Pataki admitting she was wrong about something? What was in that shrimp you caught?" he laughed as she was tempted to knock the bowl off the table.

"Zip it! I admit I'm wrong all the time!"

"Like when?" he asked, pouring the mix into their ready laid out pan.

"Like last night, doi!" she exclaimed, watching him raise an eyebrow.

Spreading out the chocolate, he corrected her. "You didn't say you were wrong about questioning us, you said you were weak for questioning yourself."

Helga's eyes widened as a moment of silence took over. Watching him set the mix into the oven, he sat down to join her at the table. Watching her rethink what happened the previous night, he laid his hand on hers. "Last week was tough. In more ways than one. I don't know what about that dream was so intense it was the first thing in eighteen years that made you question your strength. If you believed everything I said last night though, it can only get better from here."

"Arnold, you know I've always felt weak on the inside. You're the only thing that's given me a reason to believe someone with a life as messed up as mine always was still worth living." she said softly, feeling him rub her hand gently.

Leaning towards her, brushing the hair out of her face, he whispered "You're the strongest person I know."

Pressing their lips together, they then heard "Hehe, having fun kids?"

Arnold jumped back, watching Helga blush. "Uhh we were just waiting for the brownies to finish, grandpa"

"Well, don't have too much fun! Wouldn't want anymore Fixer Elixers gettin' made!" Phil winked.

"Fixer what now?" Helga asked, cocking her brow.

"Fixer Elixer. You know, one of those party drinks that causes unspeakably horrible nightmares because it has just about everything in it you're not supposed to consume before bedtime. Haha!" Phil explained.

Seeing Helga clench her fists, Arnold asked "Uhh grandpa, you wouldn't happen to know who all had one would you?"

Scratching his head, leaning against the fridge, Phil replied "Oh, I figure just about every one of you kids. She had three or four of them playing that spit pong game thingy."

Clenching her fists tighter, she scowled "That was just beer!"

"No, after you ran out, that weird animal lovin' kid replaced it with the Elixers." Phil explained, grabbing a soda, not taking notice of how angry Helga was.

Arnold shook his head, knowing his grandpa would never be the bearer of good news. "Are you okay Helga?" he asked, watching her stare off into space.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I guess if my dream really didn't mean anything, then there's nothing to worry about...except beating Curly's face in!"

They then heard the brownies beep. Arnold got up from the table as Helga sat there, thinking to herself _I can't believe I over-reacted! What the heck is wrong with me?_

Arnold brought the brownies back to the table, watching Helga ready with some foil to wrap them up.

"Hold on! I promised grandpa he could have one." Arnold said, taking one to him.

Helga rolled her eyes at Phil's need to have a bite of everything they made. It seemed to be his form of payment for their use of his kitchen.

Arnold found Phil sitting in his rocker in the living room. "Here you go grandpa. We're going home now."

"Thanks shortman! Don't have too much fun!" Phil said, winking.

"Grandpa, did you ever have one of those drinks?" Arnold asked, watching Phil take a bite of his brownie.

"Oh yeah! I remember the first party your grandma and I went to. She was so shook up the next morning after having one of those, she wouldn't speak to me for two weeks! Haha!" Phil exclaimed, rocking in his chair.

"Grandpa!" Arnold exclaimed, smacking his face.

"Oh don't worry shortman. She'll get her confidence back. Hey! That's what they should call that drink! The Credence Needence! Haha!" Phil laughed, watching Arnold walk away.

Helga was waiting with their tray of chocolate goods in the kitchen when she saw him return with a sad look. "What's wrong football head? Gramps spit it back at ya?"

"No, I think he finished it before I left the room." he replied as she rolled her eyes. "Pttss...figures. Well let's get going."

"What are you doing?" she asked, seeing him grab his grandparents' ingredients.

"I figure they won't mind us taking home a few things. It's not like grandpa ever makes anything himself." Arnold shrugged his shoulders.

"Pttss...ya got that right!" Helga scoffed, heading for the door.

The two walked home with their dessert, different things on their minds.

 _I guess now it really doesn't matter what happened to my wedding ring. Although it would still be nice to have to strangle Curly's scrawny neck with!_ Helga thought to herself, as Arnold looked over at her.

"Are you really okay Helga?" he asked, interrupting her thoughts.

"Huh? Oh yeah. I guess it just blows my mind that I got so worked up over a stupid dream." she replied as he sent a weak smile her way.

"I think you were petrified because you like to be in control of things. It wasn't easy being in control of your life after waking up, finding a piece of it missing. Seeing that ring gone for no reason was like the world trying to make your decisions for you. It was an overly dramatic way of thinking, but it's who you are...and I love who you are." Arnold assured her.

Looking at his dreamy eyes, she thought to herself…

 _Arnold my love! You are the only one who understands me! Who knows the good that comes from the bad which I see. The one who set my tender loving soul free. You're mine forever; never give up on me!_

Managing to make it the rest of the way home, without taking her eyes off him, they entered their apartment.

Helga then entered the kitchen to put the brownies away. Feeling a set of hands wrapped around her waist, she heard "You know, Gerald doesn't need ALL those brownies."

Smirking as she turned to face him. She replied "Not unless he wants a repeat of our senior year."

Arnold opened the tray to take one out. Helga closed her eyes as she opened her mouth. Rather than feeling him place it inside, she felt him smearing it all around her mouth.

"Hey! What the?!" she scowled, opening her angry eyes to meet his half lidded ones.

"I just thought I'd save you the time and trouble of 'eating.' Since we both knew none of it would make it into your mouth anyway." he laughed as she lowered her brow.

Seeing her reach for a brownie, Arnold grabbed her wrist before she could pick up her ammo. Looking at her chocolate smeared face, he pulled her in, saying "This brings back memories."

She continued to stare into his emerald eyes as he bent down to press his nose against hers. Breathing heavily, she asked "So, what are you waiting for?"

"I'm not like you. I eat my dessert slowly." he whispered, sticking out his tongue to wipe around her mouth. Moving his tongue slowly over and over around her lips made her knees weaken. Feeling her shake, he picked her up to take to the bedroom.

Laying on top of her, he covered her lips with his. Feeling her reach for his face, he pinned her back. She began to moan as she felt him nibbling the chocolate off of her lips. Her body began to tremble as he sucked uncontrollably on her upper lip. Letting her arms go, he pulled her head closer to his, realizing it would take some force to get the remainder of the sweet dessert off _his_ sweet dessert.

Propping herself up on her arms, she allowed him to hold her face in his hands, sucking what he could off of her.

Feeling him release his lips, she looked at his heavily breathing chest and said "Bet you're regretting that wasted brownie now?"

Winking at her, he replied "Not for a sweet second. Let's get some sleep. We've got work tomorrow."

The two of them changed clothes and crawled under the covers. Feeling closer than they'd had in over a week.

"Good night 'sweetie.' Sweet dreams." he said as she turned to give him one more sweet kiss good night.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Chew-mo Wrestling

It was Monday morning, the start of a new work week for both of them. Arnold set off the alarm, expecting to have a hard time waking Helga up. Instead, he saw her already lifting the covers off herself.

"Morning, how'd you sleep?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.

"Fine I guess. I get to start program planning with Mark today. Hopefully, he found some useful information to use against Matt." she replied, getting up to go through their closet.

"Would you like me to make you some breakfast?" he offered, scratching the back of his head.

"Nah, I'll just have some cereal. No offense, but grilled cheese isn't what I'm in the mood for at seven a.m."

Even with his optimistic attitude and ability to make the best of a bad situation, he couldn't disagree with her on that.

"I guess I can understand that. I'll go ahead and get up too." he sighed, watching her roll her eyes at him.

"You better, unless you want Dr. Bliss writing 'Irresponsible Intern' on your resume." she said, pointing a finger a him.

Watching her walk into the kitchen, he thought to himself _Well, she seems to be her usual witty self. I guess I have nothing to worry about?_

Entering the kitchen, after taking his normal twenty minutes to get ready, he found her shoveling down her cereal with a napkin placed over her suit. As if she needed a bib.

Helga lifted her head after taking the last few bites to see him snickering in her direction.

"What's so funny Arnoldo?"

"You're never going to learn to eat properly are you?"

"So what if I'm not? At least I don't have to worry about getting my shirt dirty! How about a little 'emotional support.' Sheesh!" she exclaimed, dropping her bowl in the sink.

"Whatever, you say Helga." he replied, shaking his head, watching her wipe her face with her napkin/bib.

"Well, I guess I should get going. See what this program thingy is all about." she sighed.

Before letting her walk away, he pulled her in to kiss her. Knowing she had to get going, he still had a hard time letting her go. When she felt him placing his hand behind her hand, as if he was about to take her hair down, she pushed him off of her. "Sheesh Arnoldo! Do you not know how hard it was to get it up like this?!"

He began to blush, rubbing the back of his neck as he replied. "Sorry Helga, have a good day."

"Yeah, yeah. You too." she said, leaving him.

After watching her leave, he looked at his watch. _I guess I should get going too. I can't forget my book!_

Racing out the door, he saw Helga talking to Jason.

"Good morning Arnold. I was just telling Helga I'm sorry she missed our cooking lesson." Jason said, as Helga began to blush.

Knowing Helga wouldn't appreciate the embarrassment of being called out on why she didn't join them, Arnold came up with another excuse. "Yeah, but we still got our practice in. Last night our friends asked us to back them some brownies, so we went over to my grandparents again to make them."

A sigh of relief went through Helga's mind, knowing she could always count on her beloved to look out for her.

"You seem to enjoy using their kitchen more than your own." Jason couldn't help but find odd, considering they had their own new apartment.

Arnold began to rub his neck, knowing that must have made them look a bit kiddish. "It's just…" he began, before his wife bluntly interrupted.

"That his lunatic grandmother owns as many cooking necessities as she does costumes to go with them! Despite the crazy performances we may have to risk witnessing when we're there, it makes up for any shopping or cooking at our own place would require."

Jason's eyes widened at her remark, looking back at Arnold. "Uhh what she said."

"Oh, well should we just start having lessons over there then?" he anxiously asked, as Helga thought to herself…

 _For crying out loud, it's Monday morning! Why is this guy already planning what's for dinner Saturday, and where we should be eating it? Sheesh!_

"I'll talk to my grandparents and let you know. I'm warning you though, whatever we make, my grandpa will want us to make enough for him." Arnold insisted, while noticing Helga walking off.

Jason couldn't help but laugh at the remark as he replied "Haha no problem. You ready to get going?"

"Uhh, I'll catch up with you. I just want to say goodbye to Helga." Arnold said, racing after her.

Looking in the opposite direction, Helga heard her name being anxiously called, as though something urgent had come up. She turned around to see Arnold having to halt himself to prevent falling, when making it two inches from her.

"Sheesh football head, what's the problem? We'll both be late at this rate?" she pointed out.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, having trouble making eye contact, he replied "I was just wondering why you didn't say goodbye to me?"

Helga rolled her eyes at her sensitive husband. "Because I said it to you in the apartment? Is my temporarily delusional 'don't ever leave me' attitude, that I will find Curly and kick his ass for, rubbing off on you as well?"

"Whatever you say Helga." he sighed, kissing her on the cheek. "Have a good day."

After watching him leave, she turned to sigh to herself.

 _Oh my beloved! So sweet and sensitive! Never letting my cruel, dark nature erase your caring feelings which have always been able to see past them. That have always known there is more to me than what you see!_

Her head spun with a smile on her face all the way to her office. It was as if she had walked in automatically, paying no attention to the outside world, until she heard "Good morning Helga!"

"Huh? Oh hey Mark. How's it going?" she asked, happy to no longer be feeling nervous around him or Jason.

"Not bad. Jason and I spent the weekend going over his psychology notes to prepare him for his training this week."

A confused look formed on Helga's face. "Wait a minute. Does your roommate work for Dr. Bliss?"

Nodding his head, he replied "Yeah, how did you know?"

Rubbing her neck she replied "Uhh...I think he may be the same person my husband works with over there. He's also giving us cooking lessons."

This made Helga forget a moment about asking Mark for his help.

Meanwhile, Jason had just made it to Dr. Bliss' office with Arnold.

"So, you ready for our training week." he asked Arnold anxiously.

"As long as there aren't any pop quizzes." Arnold said with a nervous look, entering the building.

Jason laughed, walking down the hallway with his soon to be coworker. "Don't worry, I don't think she would do that to us."

The two then entered Dr. Bliss' office, seeing an excited look on her face. "Good morning boys! Did you finish reviewing the book I gave you?"

Arnold began to blush, knowing he didn't study it as much as he should have.

"Uhh yeah, I think I know it pretty well."

"Good, then we can start our training seminars and staff meetings this week."

Dr. Bliss then lead them to the room where their training took place with several other students. Jason and Arnold took a seat at a table near the front. There they listened to the teacher tell them the main topics they would be discussing for children.

Anger

Anxiety

Depression

Personality

Emotional Health

Intelligence

Arnold was easily able to compare each trait to Helga. The way she took her way she expressed herself through anger when they were kids. The way her anxiety built up every time someone became suspicious of her feelings for him. Watching how depressed she became every time she was reminded of the way her family neglected her. Seeing the way her split personality (anywhere from dominate to passionate) affected her lifestyle. Knowing that despite how well she may have appeared on the outside, that didn't mean she felt fine on the inside. Yet, despite the trauma all this put her through, she was the smartest, most intelligent person he'd ever had the honor of knowing.

While this was going through his mind, Mark was starting program planning with Helga.

"Program planning is basically outlining the events and activities your team members follow to reach a certain goal." Mark explained to her, as she sat back in her chair.

"So for instance, if I had been planning to get my friends together to work on an intense plan to kick my sister out of the country for good, that would be program planning?" she began, watching a concerned look on his face grow.

"Well, I suppose…"

"Or, if I was to bring all the lawyers in this place together to advise a plan to seek revenge on the class of fifth graders who threw my friends and I in the garbage in fourth grade, that would be program planning?" she continued

"I uhh guess that's relevant."

"Man oh man! This is gonna be sweet!" she exclaimed, leaning back in her chair.

While Helga was enjoying the power she was finally feeling her job may bring her, Arnold was starting his lunch break with Jason. "What did you think of our seminar?"

"It was interesting. It's actually cool how easily those topics can relate to people you know." Arnold admitted.

Jason nodded his head in agreement, knowing how he felt, based on his time spent at the homeless shelter.

"Yeah, I've seen and experienced several different personalities over the years. It's amazing what different lifestyles can do to change people." he replied, while this made Arnold think about the way Helga's relationship to him had helped show her sensitive side every now and then.

While the day was finishing up, Helga was considering asking Mark about his progress with Matt. It wasn't necessary however when she heard him say "By the way, I did some research about any laws that would be helpful defending you and Arnold. I think I may have found a few."

Helga's eyes lit up at these words, until she continued to listen.

"They're very technical however, which means we'll have to review every detail that happened to you and Arnold. We can get into that later though. Enjoy the rest of your day."

Helga walked out thinking to herself _at least there's SOME hope for us. I guess Matt hasn't exactly tried anything yet, so it's not like there's anything to freak out about._

As their day was ending, Arnold said to Jason "That wasn't so bad. At least now we know what to expect the rest of the week."

"Yeah, since we haven't started anything big yet, just let me know when you want my roommate and I to come over. You know, to help you out with that lawsuit."

Arnold rubbed his neck, hoping that would be okay with Helga. She seemed fine now that they both knew the cause behind her mental trauma the past week. He could never be sure when it came to her ability to flip back and forth with her emotions however. "Uhhh sounds good. Thanks."

The two then walked in separate directions. Arnold was anxious to get home and hear about Helga's day, hoping this week would be more fun for her than the last.

He walked into the apartment expecting to see her on the couch in the living room. Instead, he heard something in the kitchen. Walking in, he saw her boiling water on the stove.

"Are you actually cooking?"

Nearly spilling the noodles she was dumping into the pot, she turned to shout "Sheesh football head! Don't scare me like that!"

"Sorry. I just didn't expect to see you cooking?" he replied, scratching his head.

"It's easy mac! I would hardly consider that cooking." she replied, rolling her eyes.

Rolling his eyes at her remark, he went over to hug her. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he rubbed his face against hers, squeezing her tight. "How was your day?"

"Eh, it was okay. Mark taught me a few things about program planning. He also said he's been researching laws to use against Matt." she replied.

"Maybe you should work on becoming a lawyer instead of president." Arnold suggested, seeing her cock her brow.

"Pttss...are you crazy?! Why sue someone if I could have them kicked out of the country?!" she scowled.

"Whatever you say Helga. You may want to turn down the water. That pasta's not as easy as the box makes it sound." he laughed, seeing her glare at him.

"Oh, what do you know Arnoldo!" she scowled.

Grabbing her, pulling her closer, he said "I know I'm hungry, just not for that."

Feeling her knees weaken, she said "Yeah well, it's going to have to wait. I haven't eaten since breakfast. Plus, you didn't exactly share that brownie with me last night."

Watching her take the pasta off the stove, he said "I think your greedy attitude rubbed off on me a bit."

"Zip it hairboy! Or I REALLY won't share this with you!" she scowled, mixing in the cheese with the pasta.

Taking a seat with her at the table, he gazed at her with his dreamy smile and half lidded eyes. "That's okay, I can wait."

Rolling her eyes, shoveling her food in her mouth, she asked "So, what fun thing did you do today?"

He then sat up to explain "We started our training seminars today. Basically just talking about the different personality traits therapists see kids for."

Munching on her noodles, not looking up from her bowl, she replied "Yeah, I can relate to that."

Smiling at her once more, thinking back to his thoughts at the seminar, he said "I'm sure you could."

Looking up to cock her brow at him, she asked "What's that supposed to mean?"

Not afraid of her offended look, he said "It means you possess several different interesting qualities. None of which have held you back in life, which is a very admirable thing."

Trying not to blush, she stood up to place her bowl in the sink. "Well, I'm going to go brush my teeth. Mark and I had quite an 'interesting' day." she said, watching Arnold's face drop.

"I'm just joking football head! Sheesh!" she scowled, heading for the bathroom. Arnold felt a bit embarrassed for falling for that, but it didn't stop him from feeling how heavy it made his heart beat in that short amount of time.

As Helga stood in the bathroom brushing her teeth, she couldn't help but smile at the look those words brought to Arnold's face. It was always so comforting to know someone cared for her that much. Yet, while her bad attitude rubbed off on him from time to time, his guilt rubbed off on her. She needed the reassurance he still felt that way about her after the way her split personality dragged him in all sorts of directions.

Leaving the bathroom, she saw him lying on the bed, waiting for her. Looking at her with her pink sweat pants and white tank top, he asked "So, am I allowed to play with your hair now, or are you still concerned about how hard it was to get it up?"

Rolling her eyes at him, she shoved him over. Barely budging him, he pulled her onto him. Pulling out her clip, he ran his fingers through her hair, watching it fall down the side of her face. Gazing into her deep blue eyes that called out to him, his chest began to breathe heavily as he said "You really scared me!"

Cocking her brow at him, she said "Oh please! Like you said, I was so paranoid about not having known what happened party night, I called myself weak; begging you not to leave me. What makes you think I would do something like that?"

Squeezing her arms tight, knowing he was risking sending her mind on another crazy ride of second guessing, he replied "Because you spent a week questioning whether or not we were meant to be together!"

Gulping at the fear she brought to him, she replied "Hey! Blame our zoo lovin', drink switchin', face paintin' freakazoid classmate!"

Not receiving a response from him, she continued to stare into what appeared to be pleading eyes. She had asked him never to leave her. Now his eyes were sending her the same message. "I'm sorry Arnold. I didn't mean to scare you."

Not caring to respond, he pulled her lips to meet his. Putting his hand behind her head, he pressed their mouths together tight in the same way he recalled her doing the night she confessed her love for him. Her eyes widened at the feel of his grip on her tongue. It was as if he thought he could remove it from her.

Hearing her moan, he moved his hands to her waist, slowly moving them up her tank top. He loved the way the touch of his hands sent chills through her every time. The thought of anyone else capable of bringing that type of pleasure to her was unbearable. Making their way to her breasts, his hands felt her no longer breathing; as though the touch of them made her heart skip and occasional beat.

Flipping them over, he began to rub their parts together. Helga wrapped her arms around his neck, shocked at how long he was continuing his aggressive tongue play. Hearing her moan, he began to spread his legs across her lower area. Deciding to give her a breath, he sat up to pull off his shirt. She laid there trembling at the sight of his smooth, broad chest that had met hers many times.

Pulling her up with him, he removed her white silk tank top. Leaning his head against hers, lacing their fingers together, he whispered "I can't decide if you're sweeter with or without chocolate."

Helga then swooned while a lovesick smile came to her face. Unhooking her bra, he began to lay her down. Rubbing her breasts, listening to her moan, he began to kiss her neck. Leading a trail of kisses down towards her chest, he listened to her say "When's Geraldo coming by for HIS dessert?"

Smiling back up at her, he replied "I don't know. I haven't talked to him today."

"Well if he doesn't pick them up tonight, they're mine!" she exclaimed, as Arnold began to pull her pants off.

"I'd text him now to pick them up, but I don't know what he'd do if he walked in on another of our intimate moments." he laughed, seeing Helga roll her eyes.

"Don't remind me of that! I can't believe that stupid drink didn't erase THAT memory! Sheesh!" she scowled. Seeing him shake his head, her tension was suddenly released as she felt him run his hands up her sides. Her eyes stayed focused on his, while his hands moved up and down her trembling body.

"I wouldn't want any of our memories erased." he said, removing her last article of clothing.

"You've never had a reputation to care about." she countered, watching him roll his eyes.

"I thought one of your vows was to forget about that?" he reminded her, bending down to kiss her lower area.

Feeling his mouth send kiss after kiss there made her forget about any excuse she may have had ready for that question. Having his soft lips press against such a sensitive area, reminded her of how vulnerable she could be. A tingling sensation grew inside her each time she felt him. So much so, eventually all it took was seeing his mouth reach for that area, as opposed to meeting it.

Sitting up to remove his own pants, he saw a familiar look on her face…

 _Oh Arnold! Your sweet lips against my soft skin. Your warm breath against my trembling body. Your loving smile has always made my life worthwhile._

Her thoughts were soon interrupted by the sweet lips she was fantasizing about once they met hers. Feeling him massage her breasts with his lips pressed against hers, she heard him whisper "Were you thinking what I think you were thinking?"

She slowly opened her eyes, feeling her cheeks turn pink. Watching him take his lips off hers, she replied "What do you think?"

Not taking his eyes off her, Arnold entered his member inside Helga. "I think you have the sweetest look on your face when you're daydreaming about 'ice cream' haha."

Helga would have glared had he not started rubbing her. Pressing back and forth, harder and harder, she panted heavier and heavier. Gripping the sheets, she moaned heavily while he hovered over her.

Slowing down, feeling his energy run slow, he bent over to whisper in her ear "Would you like a brownie?"

Her eyes slowly opened to see his weak smile and half lidded gaze. Holding a hand to his face, she replied "Nah, I'm fine with my ice cream."

He then laid down on top of her, trying to catch his breath. She stroked his hair gently, feeling him move up and down on top of her with every breath she let out. The two could have passed out from exhaustion and the comfort of being in each other's arms. Their happiness was interrupted however when Arnold heard his phone beep.

"Crimity! Can't you keep that thing on silent when we do this?" she exclaimed.

"I'm too busy keeping you on silent." he replied, finding the strength to lift his head. Kissing her gently several times, each one ending with a soft smacking noise.

Glancing over at the clock, Helga read it was five minutes to six. "Crimity! We've been going at it for almost two hours!"

"Alright, I'll check my phone now." he replied, giving her one last kiss.

Sitting up to check his phone, he read "Hey Arnold! Did Helga make those brownies?"

Helga sat up, seeing Arnold stare at his phone. "So, who's it from?" she asked.

"Gerald's wanting his brownies. Guess we should get dressed." he replied, scratching his head.

"I think he should have to bake me something!" she scowled, watching Arnold raise an eyebrow at her.

"Why is that?"

"We let him waste two hours of our lives by making us watch a low star rated movie in our new apartment!" she scowled.

"Whatever you say Helga." Arnold shook his head, standing to head for the kitchen.

Pulling the brownies out of the fridge, he said to his wife "If there's one thing I miss about the boarding house, it's all the time we spent sharing desserts together there...and I don't just mean the sexy kind."

Rolling her eyes with a hand on her waist, she scoffed "So eating is what you miss about your childhood home?"

Turning to face her with the tray, he corrected her "Almost every time we shared a dessert, we talked about our childhood. I learned more and more new things about you and your love for me."

Not knowing how to respond to that, she looked away, hoping he wouldn't notice her red cheeks. There wasn't much hope hiding it with the way he was approaching her. Turning her face towards his, leaning his head against hers, he said "We got married at a young age, so there are still plenty more new things for me to learn about you."

Just then a knock came to the door. Feeling Arnold pull his head away, she said "Guess it's time to let Geraldo have his repeat of class president training!"

Feeling her face, he replied "That's okay, I've got the main course in front of me."

"Not to mention the actual soon to be president!" Helga exclaimed, as the two went to answer the door.

Rolling his eyes at her remark, Arnold opened the door to see his best friend. "Hey Arnold! Those brownies better be as good as the movie!"

Crossing her arms, Helga smirked "Had I known that, I would have just used a hershey bar and an easy bake oven!"

"Whatever you say Helga." Gerald replied, taking the tray. "So, what do you have going on tomorrow?"

"Well, I've got more training seminars. Mark's probably going to be coming over to help us stay ahead of Matt. Then Jason wants to cook at the boarding house on Saturday." Arnold explained.

"More cooking. .mmm! Well, just make sure you learn more sweet desserts for the next bet you lose Pataki!" Gerald exclaimed, walking away with his sweets.

Arnold watched her clenching her fists, when turning to close the door. Placing his hands on them, he said "Let's order some pizza. I don't know about you, but our workout worked me up an appetite."

"Fine. Make sure to order some extra hot sauce to save for dumping on the next tray of brownies we make him!" she scowled.

"Whatever you say Helga." he replied, heading towards the phone.

Waiting for her husband to join her, Helga took a seat on the couch, picking up the remote. She leaned back, with her legs crossed, flipping through the channels. "Crimity! All the good shows come on during work hours!"

Walking back over to join her on the couch, Arnold said "It shouldn't be too long before the pizza arrives."

"About as long as it'll take for a bearable T.V. show to come on?!" she scowled, lifting her legs for him to sit underneath.

"Put it on the sports channel. Wrestling could be on." he suggested, watching her flip her way to it.

Rubbing her legs as they laid across his lap, he asked "What if it had been me you got left behind with on the fourth grade field trip to the chocolate factory? How much fun do you think we would have had at Wrestlemania together?"

Turning away from the TV to look at him, she cocked her brow. "Arnold, you would have been in the ring convincing those guys to make peace with one another! You're no fighter!"

"I must be to some extent if we're having to worry about Matt" he countered, continuing to rub her legs.

"Earth to Arnold! I'M the one who socked him! You threatened to snitch on him. I finished the threat by cleaning his clock!" she reminded him, while watching him roll his eyes. It was becoming more and more obvious what little effect her reputation had on him.

"Whatever you say Helga." he sighed, watching her turn to face the TV once again.

"Twenty bucks says The Giant beats Shinsuki!" Arnold said a moment later, keeping his eyes on the TV. Helga held in her laugh, not knowing what she found funnier, his bet, or him thinking he knew a thing or two about wrestling.

"Pttss...please! The Giant may be known for his backbreaking skills, but Shinsuki is known for his knowledge of the complete list of wrestling techniques!" Helga smirked.

"Such as?" Arnold wondered, leaning an arm over the back of the couch, turning to give her his full attention.

Helga sat herself up, as if she had been ready for this moment. "Where should we start? Attacks, throws, holds, aerials, double-teams?"

"Uhh...are those the moves themselves?" he asked, scratching his head.

Rolling her eyes, shaking her head, she replied "You are such a football head! You would 'literally' be thrown around the ring in an instant!"

"Well as a psychology trainee, I'm not exactly expected to support violence." Arnold smiled, grabbing her hand.

"As a government intern, I am more than expected to encourage it!" she exclaimed, pointing a finger at him.

Grabbing her other hand, he pulled her closer to his face. "Well, I guess we did agree before getting married to let you be in charge of the relationship."

"Which would mean letting go of me!" she scowled.

"How can I support your approval of violence if I do that?" he asked, leaning his head against hers. He could hear a small gulp leave her throat. His fake dark side was the only thing capable of revealing her hidden soft side.

Watching what were still her wide eyes fixated on his half lidded eyes, he whispered "Violence only solves one thing...getting you to open up to me."

Their lips were ready to meet when they heard

KNOCK KNOCK!

Arnold got up to answer the door, while Helga turned her attention back towards the TV.

Bringing the pizza in, seeing she had once again taken advantage of the couch, he asked "So, do I not get to sit and eat?"

"Get me a soda, you'll get a seat." Helga smirked, watching him roll his eyes at her.

Pulling some yahoos out of the fridge, he heard "Bullseye!"

"What was that about?" Arnold asked, bringing her back a soda, while she cleared a space for him on the couch.

"Shinsuki just drop kicked The Giant's ass!" she screamed with a mouth full of pizza.

Reaching for a slice, he replied "I don't know why I would care, but what exactly does that mean?"

"For crying out loud! You made sure to help Wittenburg with every moral sports dilemma he may be going through when we were kids, but you never bothered to watch a wrestling match. Sheesh!" she exclaimed, reaching for her drink.

Rolling his eyes, he sighed "Apparently not, so are you going to tell me?"

"It's when the attacker jumps and kicks the opponent with the soles of both his feet. Much like I should have done to you lame-o cousin when he planted a move on me a few months ago!" she scowled, sending a shiver through Arnold's body.

"Yeah, I try not to think about that."

"Well, if you watched shows like these, you'd know how to handle your 'opponent' in situations like that." she insisted, watching him roll his eyes.

"I'm not going to dropkick someone Helga...no matter how mad they make me."

Finishing her pizza, she replied "Fine, you're not an attacker. I think I knew that already. You're more the 'holds' type."

"What is that?" he wondered, raising his eyebrow at her.

Shoving what was left of the food aside, she turned to face him. "It means you like to pin people down. Although, your reasons seem to be more emotional than hostile."

Arnold then lowered the television, not caring how it might upset her. "I think you might be right."

"Pttss...what do you mean MIGHT be? I'm the leader in this duo!" she exclaimed, watching him move closer.

"Yet, I seem to be the one doing all the 'work' around here." he said, running his fingers through her hair.

"If you're really that desperate for attention, why didn't you just say so? Sheesh!" she exclaimed, leaving the couch.

Arnold watched her walk away, wondering what he would be seeing her return with. A moment later, she was standing in front of him with her hands behind her back. "Close your eyes." she demanded, while he sat there having a good idea of what she was about to do to him.

His thought was then interrupted when he felt something cold smeared all across his face. He opened his eyes to see Helga wearing a wide grin while wiping a brownie she had saved all across his lips.

"You know the drill. When a new game is made up, I always get my turn!" she explained, watching him lay there with chocolate smeared around his lips.

"Whatever you say Helga." he sighed, watching her with his half lidded eyes. She sat beside him, covering his lips with her own. The chocolate was no longer creamy as though it had just been made, but stiff like a cake substance. Rather than being able to lick it off, she chewed all around his lips. Nibbling on them, sucking occasionally, eating as though he was part of the brownie.

Arnold sat there while she held his face, enjoying the feel of her lips, even her teeth, against his face. The occasional swipe of her tongue, making sure to clear away any remaining crumbs. Feeling her suck excessively on the stubborn bits that wouldn't remove themselves from his skin. His body trembled at the feel of her enjoying each part of his lips. As if she was wishing his face would never run out of chocolate.

When she finally did remove the last of the sweet sensation from his mouth, she heard him ask "If that was a wrestling move, what do you think they would call it?"

"Well, since it requires two people, probably 'Chew-mo wrestling!' she smirked.

"Whatever you say Helga. Let's get some sleep." he smiled, helping her up from the couch.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Pick One

The next morning came, and Arnold rolled over to shut off the alarm. It was nice not having to reach over someone else to do it. Before waking his wife, the first thing he did was feel his face to see if there was any remaining chocolate. _I think she got it all off me._

Looking over at her, he hated the thought of waking her. Not to mention knowing it wouldn't be easy; like a wrestling match itself. "Hey Helga. It's time to get up!"

Seeing her wave him off, he rolled his eyes and shook her harder. "Helga! We can't be late for work!" he insisted, watching her sit up to rub her eyes.

"Alright! Keep what's left of your pants on! Sheesh!" she scowled, while getting up to stretch.

Grabbing his clothes from the closet, Arnold asked "So, are you and Mark still working on program planning?"

Still rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she replied "Yeah, we'll be doing that for the rest of the week. It's interesting to think about how I've been using government techniques ever since I was a kid."

"What do you mean?" Arnold asked, raising an eyebrow, while he finished dressing himself.

Already dressed and working on her hair, Helga said "Well, Mark said program planning basically boils down to bringing everyone in your group together to follow through on a goal you're trying to reach. Think about all the schemes and rituals I put together against our classmates any time I needed to teach them a lesson!"

Rolling his eyes after finishing getting dressed, Arnold walked towards her. "Or, accomplishing your main program you've been planning/scheming since you were three."

"Which is?" she asked, finally fixing her hair.

"Winning me over." he said kissing her, while remembering not to put his hand behind her head.

After letting her lips go, he could see that sensitive look in his eyes only his touch could bring to them. When she realized it she said, "Let's go eat!"

The two went to the kitchen, while Arnold already had a good idea of what she was about to grab. "Are you sure you want cereal again?"

"Yeah, you got a problem with that?" she scowled.

"I guess not? It's just that we have other things." he laughed.

"Well, what else did you want me to do? Stick my head in there?" she asked, cocking her brow at him.

Shaking his head, he replied "I'm just saying, we have microwavable pancakes, waffles, I can make eggs, toast."

"Pttss...please! Unless you can make sugar chunk waffles, I think I'm good." she scowled.

Arnold knew he wasn't going to win their usual breakfast spat, but if he wanted to be a good husband, he felt he had to at least offer.

After making himself a waffle, he sat there watching his wife finish her last loud bites of the sugary breakfast. "Well, I guess I should get going. See what else Mark has to tell me that I can relate to my childhood reputation."

Arnold stood up from the table to kiss her goodbye. "Have a good day. Maybe we can do something special tonight?"

"Maybe. We'll see what happens." she said, shrugging her shoulders.

Arnold then watched her head out the door, as he sat back down to finish his waffle.

On her way out the door, Helga thought to herself about the good time she had spent in front of the television with Arnold last night. This made her think _there has to be another fun topic to discuss about our childhood interests. I told him practically every secret about myself before we were married. What interesting thing can we do tonight?_

While she was pondering this, Arnold was heading outside the apartment where he saw Jason. "Hey, how are you this morning?" Arnold asked, finding it unnecessary Jason felt the need to stop by his place every morning before heading to work.

"I'm doing great! Mark told me he's been reviewing cases to prepare for anything unexpected Matt may try to pull on you and Helga." Jason said enthusiastically, as if it was his problem being faced.

Arnold began to smile at the idea of someone he barely knew caring so much about helping him. "That's great. If you two want to come over soon, we could look at everything."

"Are you free tonight?" Jason asked anxiously.

Not expecting that, Arnold replied "Uhh as far as I know."

The two began walking towards Dr. Bliss' office while Helga had just made it to City Hall. Walking the steps to her office, she still had her mind on a special event for her and Arnold to share.

"Good morning Helga, how are you?" Mark asked.

"I'm good. Been going over that programming stuff." she replied, watching him smile.

"Well good. I've been reviewing information for your conflict with your classmate." Matt informed her, as she rolled her eyes at the thought of Matt even being as close as a classmate.

"Yeah, I would have liked to help...only I don't know anything about this stuff." she admitted, lowering her head.

"You will in good time. Although I wasn't expecting it, this is actually a good example of something we could use for program planning." Mark pointed out, watching Helga cock her brow.

"How is that?" she scoffed.

"You seemed to think all your vindictive schemes in grade school were great examples of it. In a way, they were. Here, we need to plan everyone and everything we'll need to prepare to reach our goal. Our goal in this case would be, not letting Matt sue you." Mark pointed out to her, as she smiled.

She was starting to understand things, while appreciating the help being given to her.

Meanwhile, Arnold and Jason had just made it to work. Dr. Bliss greeted them, once they made it inside her office. "Good morning boys. Are you ready for today's training seminar?"

Watching them nod their heads in approval, she replied "Go ahead and head that way, they should be starting soon."

"I thought it was interesting to see last time how easily you can connect those topics to people." Arnold admitted.

"The homeless shelter taught me just how effective a person's lifestyle can be on their personality." Jason said, as they entered the room.

Taking their seats, they noticed the teacher remaining more focused on some traits than others. For instance anger. Arnold listened to how although not everyone appreciates experiencing another person's anger, it is at times necessary. It's not healthy to bottle up rage, unless that person is willing to let emotional conflicts such as anxiety and depression form.

Of course Arnold couldn't help but think about Helga. She expressed herself through rage, but it was really more to hide her insecurities than it was to unload her stress.

Back at City Hall, Mark was explaining to Helga everything their 'program plan' would require to be a good lawyer, the people involved in the accident or situation which took place, and the information needed to prove they had to right to do what they did to Matt.

"I would be happy to help you, and I think I know a few things that can help us out. We'll just need to go over everything to be fully prepared. If you're free tonight, I could come over." Mark suggested.

Helga stopped to think for a moment. _I still haven't thought of anything special for Arnold and I to do. Something tells me his special plan for us was to take a stroll in the park like we've done so many times._

"Eh, why not? See you tonight then." she said, standing up.

"Great, I'll come over around five." he replied, watching her leave.

Meanwhile, Arnold was leaving the training seminar with Jason. "I love the connection I'm able to feel with the people I know after leaving these seminars. After listening to the description of each trait, it makes me rethink the reason someone I know always acted the way they do." Jason explained, while Arnold nodded his head.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. In a lot of ways his explanations are similar to the people I know. Not everyone has the same reason for acting the way they do though." Arnold admitted.

"Of course not. Not everyone goes through the same problems and struggles in life." Jason replied, holding the door for Arnold.

Before going their separate ways, Arnold said "Well, if you'd like to come over later this afternoon, you're welcome to."

Smiling, Jason said "I'll see when Mark is free!"

On Arnold's way home, he heard "Aww gee! You can't be out!"

He turned his head to see Harold pouting at the Jolly Olly man. Arnold then walked over to ask what the problem was, while the truck drove away. "Hey, what's wrong Harold?"

"Stupid Jolly Olly man was out of Mr. Fudgeys!" Harold exclaimed. Rolling his eyes, Arnold explained "Well, maybe you should take it easy. You eat those things every day don't you?"

"Yeah! So what?" Harold asked angrily, while Arnold stopped to think about his question…

 _Harold getting sick means throwing up. He threw up at the party. If he was at the party, he may have gone to the arcade afterwards, and been the one Mark gave the ring to…_

"Uh, nevermind. I do have a question for you though." he said, rubbing his neck.

"Well hurry up, 'cause I'm hungry!" Harold exclaimed.

"Did you happen to go to the arcade after my party last weekend?" he asked, watching Harold scratch his head.

"No, I don't think so? After I threw up in your bathroom, I went home to throw up some more." he explained, while Arnold let out a deep sigh. "Alright, thanks anyways." Arnold replied, walking home disappointed.

He made it there to see Helga straightening up, although there wasn't much to fix. They didn't live with a house full of people or a zoo full of animals.

"Hey Helga, what are you doing?" he asked.

"Just straightening. Mark said he's coming over around five to look at those papers with us." she explained.

"That's good. Jason told me this morning he was planning on asking him about it." Arnold informed her, as she began to roll her eyes.

"Crimity! Those two seem more excited about this than we are...and I'm sure as heck not happy about it!" she exclaimed.

Setting his things down, Arnold went over to hug her. "So, was that all you did with him today?"

"That and relate program planning to it." she explained, feeling him squeeze her tight.

"I'm sorry we're not doing anything special tonight. We'll find something to do this week." he insisted, turning her around to face him.

"Eh, don't worry about it. Like you said, we're going to be busy this summer. Then things won't exactly die down when school starts. Then when we graduate, we…" she started thinking out loud, but was interrupted when his lips met hers. Putting his hand behind her head, he took out her clip, watching her hair fall down her face.

"Who said you could do that?" she asked, pulling away from him.

"I did!" he exclaimed, pressing his lips aggressively against her, before giving her a chance to respond. Lacing their fingers together, he pushed her against the fridge. Rubbing their parts together hard, she felt him release a deep sigh through his nose. Her eyes then flashed open when she felt his tongue slide as far down her throat as possible. Nearly choking her, her first thought was _Does he even care about the fact that I can't breathe right now?!_

A moment later, her eyes lowered, thinking to herself _So what if I can't breathe, if I had to choose how I died, it would be in my beloved's arms._

Feeling her throat move, he slid his tongue back, releasing her lips to say "I'm sorry. I just didn't like hearing that."

Rolling her eyes, she replied "So this town's number one problem solver thought he'd solve the problem of us never seeing each other again by nearly choking me to death? Great plan football head."

Beginning to blush, he said "Maybe you could teach me some program planning. That way I can plan out my wrestling attacks next time."

"Oh shut up Arnoldo." she scoffed, trying to break free.

Squeezing her arms tight, pressing her against the fridge, he leaned his head against hers to whisper "I like this pinning move. Maybe our special activity this week can be 'practicing' everything else you listed for me last night."

Her eyes widened while her knees weakened at the sound of this suggestion. Not that it would be the first time they 'rough housed.' Still, any time Arnold tried showing his bad boy attitude, Helga's sensitive soul appeared.

"I guess that would be alright." she said, gulping at the idea of it.

Smiling at her innocent face, he replied "Let's eat something before they come over. I don't know how long they'll be here."

"Okay, but you'll have to relinquish your said to be awesome 'pinn-manship' if you plan on getting to the food." she smirked, pointing out he had her blocking the fridge.

"Very funny Helga." he sighed, letting her go.

"So, how was therapy? Did you discover I'm actually an evil triplet?" she asked, searching the fridge for something to make.

"We'll be doing seminars and maybe a few staff meetings the rest of the week. I won't be meeting with anymore patients until next week." Arnold said, watching her pull out mayo, turkey, cheese, and tomatoes.

"Well good. Dr. Bliss probably noticed the fear in your eyes when you were confronted with my evil twin last week!" Helga said wittingly, spreading the mayo across the bread.

"Uhhh Hilda and I were getting along just fine. Dr. Bliss never felt the need to interfere." Arnold said, lifting an eyebrow at her.

"Hey! You were approaching dangerous territory pushing her to open up to you the first day!" Helga scowled, slapping the turkey and cheese on the sandwich.

"But isn't that what Dr. Bliss did to you, when you were discussing me? You felt so much better didn't you?" Arnold pointed out, watching her roll her eyes.

"Oh please! The woman was pestering me! I don't know why she couldn't let go of the idea I liked you. She sounded more fixated on you than I was! Guess she got what she wanted by the end of the appointment." Helga sighed, chopping the tomatoes.

"I think you mean you got what YOU wanted." Arnold said, wrapping his arms around her waist, from behind her.

"What are you talking about hairboy?" she scowled, cocking her brow.

"Whether or not you're willing to admit it, it was hard repressing your feelings for me. You needed someone to unload them onto!" he said softly, watching her roll her eyes.

"Pttss...please! Helga G. Pataki does not need someone to relinquish her feelings onto AKA a therapist!" she scowled, handing him his sandwich.

"What about me? Don't you like having me to share your feelings with when you feel alone?" he asked hopefully, taking a bite of his sandwich.

"Oh that's completely different! This is a personal, private, intimate relationship. Unless you feel like gettin' it on with Hilda, I don't see how the two situations can relate to each other?" she scoffed, sitting at the table with him.

Arnold began to blush as he replied "I know they're not exactly the same. Obviously you and I can open up to each other in ways she and I can't. I mean, for the most part. I just meant you should have someone you feel comfortable sharing your problems with when you need to."

Helga hated the idea of losing an argument, but knew she had promised to give her reputation a rest every now and then. "Uhh fine! You win! Happy? Sheesh!" she exclaimed, shoving her sandwich in her mouth.

Arnold lowered his eyes at her, knowing from his past week of training it wasn't easy for anyone to change who they are. He wanted to place his hand on hers to express his feelings, but she was busy expressing her joy by not letting go of her sandwich.

"I never intended to make this a competition." he began before she interrupted.

"Pttss...of course not!"

"I just didn't agree with your accusation that I was pushing her. Even if I was, the whole point of therapy is to get people to open up to you, isn't it?" he asked cautiously.

Taking her plate to the sink, she shrugged her shoulders. "Eh, I guess. Not everyone enjoys it though."

Arnold got up to stand beside her at the sink, leaning in, with his head against hers. Pressing their noses together, he whispered "Not at first, they don't."

When their lips were about to meet, they heard a knock at the door.

"Well, that's got to be them." Helga sighed, watching Arnold walk towards the door to answer it.

"Hey Arnold! Mark brought over the research he's been doing. I didn't know if you wanted to go over any of our psychology notes, so I brought those as well." Jason said eagerly.

Arnold gave a weak smile, opening the door for them. "Great, come on in."

Observing the apartment, they noticed Helga still standing in the kitchen. After finishing washing the plates, the turned to see Mark standing an inch away from her. "Crimity!" she exclaimed.

"Sorry Helga. I thought you heard us come in?" he said, standing back.

"Uhh that's okay." she replied, feeling embarrassed by her outburst.

After noticing the papers in his hand, she added "The computer's over there, if you're ready to start looking at everything?"

Helga lead him over there, pulling a chair up beside him. "So what are we looking at here?" she asked, crossing her arms, leaning back in her chair.

Mark turned to her, looking at his information "Well, like I said, every detail of the situation counts when it comes to these laws. Matt could sue you, just because he was physically injured. You would have to have a legitimate reason for doing what you did to him."

"I was being sexually harassed! What better reason could there be?!" she exclaimed, leaning towards him.

"Which is why these are the best two choices I came up with for you to defend yourself with." Mark replied.

Helga looked over to read Mark's first choice for Her and Arnold, which was a section of the Education of Amendments of 1972.

 **Federal Law**

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 ("Title IX") is a federal law that prohibits sex discrimination in educational institutions, programs, and activities that receive federal financial assistance. The law applies to any academic, extracurricular (student organizations and athletics), research, occupational training, and other educational programs from pre-school to graduate school that receives or benefits from federal funding. The entire institution falls under Title IX even if only one program or activity receives federal funds. Some educational institutions are not covered by Title IX, even if they do receive federal funding, such as certain religious organizations, military training schools, and university fraternities and sororities.

Title IX prohibits various forms of sex discrimination in schools, including sexual harassment, gender-based bullying, and sexual violence.

Under Title IX, schools are required to have and distribute policies against sex discrimination, and these policies which must specifically address sexual harassment. Creating such a policy lets students, parents, and employees know that sexual harassment will not be tolerated. Schools are also required to adopt and publish grievance procedures for resolving complaints about sex discrimination and sexual harassment. Under Title IX, schools are also supposed to evaluate their current policies and practices to ensure that they are in compliance with the law. Lastly, schools are required to appoint at least one employee to be responsible for making sure that Title IX is followed and enforced.

Title IX requires schools to provide an effective means for promptly and appropriately responding to sexual harassment complaints. This means that once a school has notice of possible sexual harassment of any of its students, the school must promptly investigate to determine what occurred and then take immediate and appropriate steps to stop the harassment and prevent it from happening again. Schools must also address the effects of the harassment, which could mean providing counseling services for victims of harassment or providing academic support services and arranging for a student to re-take a course if the student's classroom performance suffered as a result of the harassment.

Finally, it is illegal to intimidate, threaten, or coerce a person who has exercised rights or taken action to enforce Title IX.

Looking over it, she replied "Crimity! Well, this should be a piece of cake!"

Mark gave a disappointed look as he replied "Not necessarily. The school is being referred to more as the one who would take responsibility for missing any type of sexual harassment and need to have something done about it. Meaning Arnold's threat to go to the principal that day was really more the right way to go about Matt's behavior towards you." Mark pointed out, watching Helga roll her eyes.

"I thought you said this was a good choice for defending myself?" she countered.

"If you could find a way to prove the school could have cared less about him harassing you, whether you had gone to them first or not, this could be useful. Unless you know a few ways to prove it though, I find this next act to be more useful." Mark explained, while Helga read over it.

Public Order act 1986: Section 5 (Harassment, Alarm, Distress)

A person is guilty of an offence if they

Use threatening words, behavior, or disorderly behavior

Display any writing, signs, or form of visible representation that is threatening or abusive within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused by harassment, alarm, or distress thereby.

The offence has the following statutory defences.

The defendant had no reason to believe there was anyone around likely to be alarmed or distressed by this.

The defendant was in a dwelling and had no reason to believe their actions would be seen or heard outside of it.

The conduct was reasonable.

After reading this, Helga could already list the positive and negative ways this act would be able to help her.

Meanwhile, Jason was in the kitchen with Arnold. "So, have you and Helga tried making anything from the list I showed you recently?"

Arnold began to blush. He hadn't expected Jason to actually expect them to try any of those things without his help first. "Uhh Helga made some easy mac. That's the closest we got to pasta. Otherwise, all we've been doing is eating sandwiches and anything microwavable."

Jason nodded his head, replying "Don't worry, within the next few weeks, you'll have no problem with any of it."

Arnold smiled, wondering if he should go in the living room to see how things were going with Helga and Mark.

"So, we already know Matt is guilty of the first part of this section. He verbally and physically harassed you against your will. Also, in front of the the school where plenty of kids could be offended by it." Mark explained, while Helga nodded her head hopefully.

"Here's where we may have a problem however." he continued, while Helga did her best not to roll her eyes.

"Although you could find ways to argue it's reasonable to have punched him for doing that to you, you still did it in front of several people. There's no guarantee you didn't offend anyone when you did it." he continued as Helga scowled.

"Pttss...please! It was a bunch of high schoolers. You think a week goes by without something like that happening?! Those places are known for violence and drama!" she exclaimed.

"Even if that's true, it doesn't make it legal. Also, not everyone bothered by something like that would come forward and admit it." Mark pointed out as Helga let out a deep sigh.

"So, where does that leave me?"

"Well, unless Matt can prove someone other than himself was offended by this, I don't think you have too much to worry about. Do you know of anyone who was?" Mark asked.

Helga sat there a moment, thinking back to that week. Rolling her eyes, she replied "This annoying snob who was in one of my classes came up to Arnold and I on the bus one morning to say word had gotten spread around about the fight." she began as Mark continued to listen.

"She acted like she was shook up, but I think she was really just trying to send us on a guilt trip. Other than that, no one spoke a word about it to us." Helga replied, shrugging her shoulders.

Mark sat to think about how risky this could be for a moment. "Unless Matt can get a handful of people to testify on how uncomfortable the situation made them, I don't think you have too much to worry about. If I was you, I would find some people you may be close to who could back you up in case the worst should happen."

A weak smile formed on Helga's face, knowing there was still hope for her and Arnold. Maybe Matt was all talk and he wouldn't even come after them.

"Well, we should get going. I'll see you tomorrow." Mark said, heading towards the kitchen.

Jason saw his roommate was ready to leave. "See you tomorrow Arnold! Maybe we'll be starting our staff meetings!"

"Uhh yeah, maybe?" Arnold said, scratching his head.

Watching them walk out the door, Helga elbowed Arnold "That guy's got it bad for you."

Rolling his eyes, he replied "Whatever you say Helga."

The two then headed towards the bedroom, while Arnold anxiously asked "So, did you and Mark get things figured out?"

Putting on her night shirt, Helga said "For the most part. He said it's not that I didn't have the right to hit him for harassing me, it's just that I did it in front of a bunch of people who may be scarred for life by witnessing it. Oh brother! What a bunch of crap! I'll find out their names and send them to your office." she said wittingly.

Rolling his eyes, getting into the bed, he countered "Well, there are a lot of sensitive people in the world. I think we've established you can be too at times."

Glaring at him, she smirked "I watch wrestling shows for crying out loud! What makes you think seeing a little blood get shed would send me to a therapist?!"

Pulling her in with him, he whispered "You're with one right now."

After letting out a lovesick sigh, she felt him pull her closer. Pressing their noses together, he whispered "You're my favorite patient."

Feeling her heart pound, she asked "Why is that?"

"Because after I ask you anything I want, I can DO anything I want." he smiled.

Rolling her eyes as she began to turn her head away, she smirk "Pttss...oh please you…" but wasn't able to finish.

He pressed his lips against hers firmly, with one hand behind her head, while his other hand began to slide up her nightgown. Chills formed across her body, while she felt him intertwining his smooth legs with hers.

Taking his lips off hers slowly, he said "I guess we should get some sleep."

Feeling his soft face with her hand, she said softly "Yeah, I guess."

"Good night sweetie. I love you."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: This Was Not My Idea

It was the middle of the week, and Arnold and Helga were already wishing to start the next week. Arnold was more than anxious to start work with his patients; especially after his talk about how important it is for everyone to have someone they can open up to, with Helga.

Helga felt she had learned enough about program planning. Not only did she discuss it with Mark at work, she had found ways to compare it to her life by working on the case with him. What more could she need to know about it?

"Good morning." Arnold said, rolling over to face her.

"Morning football head." Helga said, yawning in his face.

The two got up to grab their clothes, already knowing what would be going on at work. While Arnold was getting dressed, he thought about Helga saying they were just going to be getting busier and busier once summer ended and school began. They weren't kids anymore. They couldn't just goof off whenever they felt like it.

"Do you want to see if Gerald and Phoebe want to do something tonight?" he asked.

Heading for the kitchen, she asked "Like what?"

Shrugging his shoulders, following her in there, he replied "I don't know. I just figured we should get as much time to spend with them together as possible this summer. Like you said, school is just going to make us busier."

Grabbing her usual box of cereal, she replied "Eh, I guess so. I'll call Pheebs during work and see what she's got going on tonight."

A smile then formed on Arnold's face. "Great! Maybe we can ask them for help with the case."

Cocking her brow as she began to eat her cereal, she asked "What for?"

"Well, Mark said it would be good to have some people back us up in case Matt has people defending him." he said, scratching his head.

Helga didn't like asking for help. It was bad enough she was in a situation that could possibly require a lawyer if things got too out of hand.

"Pttss...fine! It's tall hair boy's fault for bringing it to our attention anyway." she scoffed.

Rolling his eyes, he replied "I don't think you'd be feeling that way if we received a call saying we were being sued before digging up information on the matter."

Pointing her spoon at him, she scoffed "Hey! Helga G. Pataki can handle a threat!"

"Just because you're not afraid of them, doesn't mean you wouldn't still get thrown in jail for hurting him." Arnold began, watching her take her bowl to the sink.

Rolling her eyes, she felt him walk up to hug her from behind. Kissing her neck, he whispered "I don't know what I'd do if that happened to you."

Her heart began to flutter while she stood there thinking about how lucky she was to have someone who cared for her so much. Snapping out of it, she replied "Yeah, yeah. I'll see you after work."

Arnold watched her walk off, thinking just how tragic it would be if things didn't work out for them. He hadn't stopped to consider the consequences of losing the case. Helga would be taken away from him! _I can't let us lose this case if Matt presses charges! I have to talk to Gerald!_

Meanwhile, Helga was walking to work, on the phone with Phoebe.

Ring...Ring...Ring...

"Hello?"

"Hey Pheebs, it's me."

"Good morning Helga."

"You and Geraldo want to do something tonight?"

"That sounds lovely Helga!"

"I'll call you after work, once football head decides what he wants to do."

"Okay Helga."

"See ya."

Nearly finishing her walk to work, Arnold had just made it outside to see Jason once again waiting for him. "Good morning Arnold! Ready for another fun day?"

Although Arnold had found everything they had learned so far to be interesting and worthwhile, he didn't understand what about it had Jason so excited.

"Uhh yeah. Let's get going."

The two began walking, having completely different things on their minds. While Jason was looking forward to their work day, Arnold couldn't take his mind off what was going to happen to Helga if Matt tried anything funny.

After noticing the awkward silence between them, Jason spoke up. "I hope Mark was helpful to Helga last night."

Arnold's head shot up, as if he had done something to imply what was on his mind. "Huh? Oh yeah, he was great. Thanks."

Giving a weak smile, Jason replied "I'm glad. He really is great at this type of thing. Although he's a sweet person, he's always been the argumentative type. This made him feel a lawyer would be a great career for himself."

Arnold's eyes widened, thinking to himself about how Helga was both sweet and argumentative. Although he knew it was crazy to think this, a tiny part of him wondered if he once again had anything to worry about if Helga was to continue working with Mark?

While the two were approaching Dr. Bliss' office, Helga was sitting with Mark. "So, between the basics you taught me Monday and the 'exercises' we did last night, I'd say I pretty much have this program planning thing mastered."

"Well, I still don't think it's right to jump into a new topic so soon. Mayor Dixie said to work on one per week, no matter how comfortable you feel with them." Mark explained.

"Crimity! Why not just let the city run itself at this rate?" she scowled.

Ignoring her anger, he asked "You and Arnold didn't happen to think about anyone who could back your case up did you?"

Loosening her face, Helga replied "We're going to talk to some friends about it tonight. They're actually the ones who warned us about him, so I'm sure they'll be willing to help us out."

"Good! If the worst should happen, I'm more than willing to represent you." Mark offered, as Helga began to blush. Once again, not liking the idea of accepting help from someone.

"Uhh thanks."

While Helga was trying to hide her appreciation, Arnold and Jason were speaking with Dr. Bliss about today's activity.

"Hello boys. Ready for another seminar?" she asked, seeing the disappointment on Jason's face.

"When will we be starting the staff meetings?" he asked.

"We'll have one on Friday. That's simply to review what's been learned for the week and discuss any issues you may be having so far." she explained.

Arnold and Jason then headed for the training room. While both boys had a good idea by that point of what to expect from patients in need of someone to speak to, Arnold wasn't sure if he could give his full attention today.

Taking a seat together, Arnold listened to the teacher talk more about anger. Rather than relating it to Helga, it made him think of how he'd felt the past couple weeks. Hearing about boys who liked her, situations that made her question her feelings for him, now the idea of having to worry about losing her all because some ill-behaved classmate of theirs couldn't keep their hands off her. While Helga expressed her rage in a matter that was in a way considered healthy at times (as long as it wasn't physical), Arnold felt his bubbling inside him all at once.

By the end of the seminar, Jason noticed something didn't seem right with Arnold. He turned and asked "Are you alright?"

Raising an eyebrow, he replied "Yeah, why do you ask?"

"Well, you were fidgety in there, and tapping your pencil nonstop. Is something on your mind?"

Arnold let out a deep sigh. He couldn't say anything without making it sound as though he was bothered by Jason and Mark's presence. Plus, he needed them to make sure nothing happened to Helga.

"Uhh...I was just thinking about the case. Guess I'm still feeling a little anxious about how things will turn out." he replied, rubbing his neck.

Patting him on the back, Jason replied "Don't worry, everything's going to be fine."

Arnold turned to give what may soon be his new coworker a weak smile. Although the thought of what his feelings for Helga may be bounced back and forth, it was nice knowing someone cared for them that much.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow. Have a good night." Jason waved, heading in the opposite direction.

"Thanks. See you later." Arnold said, heading for the apartment. _I guess I should call Gerald now._

Ring...Ring...Ring…

"Hello?"

"Hey Gerald."

"Hey Arnold! What's up?"

"Not much. Helga and I were just wondering if you and Phoebe wanted to do something tonight."

"Okay. What are we doing?"

"We could go see a movie?"

"Okay, but I don't want to catch you two making out!"

"Uhhh we won't."

"Whatever you say Arnold."

Hanging up the phone, Arnold made it back to the apartment to see Helga sitting on the couch in front of the television. Looking comfortable in her tank top and sweatpants.

Flipping through the channels with a bored look on her face, she heard someone say "I don't think wrestling comes on until seven."

"Sheesh Football head! Don't scare me like that!" she scowled.

"We should get an alarm for the door, since you never seem to hear when it opens." he said wittingly.

"Maybe if you didn't tiptoe in, it wouldn't be so hard to hear you!" she scowled, feeling him wrap his arm around her.

Rather than continuing the argument, he said "I talked to Gerald. He said he'd see a movie tonight if Phoebe wants to."

Shrugging her shoulders, she replied "Pheebs said she's free tonight, so I guess that works."

Arnold then took the remote from her to turn off the television. Turning to glare at him, she scowled "What's the big idea?!"

Rolling his eyes, he said "It's not like you were going to find anything worth watching."

Pushing him away, she smirked "How would you know, football head?!"

Giving her his half lidded stare that made her heart skip a beat, he grabbed her hand. "I know you pretty well now, whether you're willing to admit it or not."

Rolling her eyes at him, she replied "I think I've admitted plenty to you about myself."

Lacing their fingers together, holding her hand against his heart and his other behind her head, he asked "Then answer this for me…" he began, as her eyes widened.

"Okay?"

"Do you still question your love for me?" he whispered, feeling a chill run through his own body.

She lifted her head, cocking her brow as she replied "What are you talking about?"

Thinking about the way Jason's description of Mark had easily compared to Helga, Arnold replied "I'm talking about the fact that within the past week, you've let something as simple as a dream and losing your wedding ring make you believe one of the new people in our lives are who you're meant to be with."

Widening her eyes, feeling guilty that her insecurities were rubbing off on him, she scowled "That's completely ridiculous! You know it was just that lame-o drink our even lamer classmate made for us that caused me to think that way!"

Sighing deeply, rubbing her hand, he replied, "Okay. I don't want anything like that happening again though."

Rolling her eyes, she scoffed "Yeah well, I wasn't exactly in charge of the drinks that night!"

"Whatever you say Helga." he sighed, hearing a beep from his phone.

Walking over to answer it, he said "Gerald wants to know when to come over for the movie."

Standing to stretch, Helga replied "I haven't bothered to look up what's playing. Tell him to pick something with Pheebs and we'll meet them over there."

After giving her orders, she went to change out of her sweatpants and into some blue jeans. While she was busy doing that, Arnold thought about how he may have overreacted questioning her like that. He had spent the past week and a half telling her not to overthink things. Now here he was, letting his emotions get the best of him.

"So, are we ready to go?" she asked, walking back into the room.

Grabbing her, to hug her tight, she asked "What's gotten into you football head?!"

"I'm sorry! I just hate what we're going through right now! First I had to worry about you losing feelings for me, then I had to worry about one of the two people we work with stealing you from me, now I have to worry about what will happen to you if we lose this case! Maybe I never should have gotten us those internships!" he exclaimed.

"Uhh even if we were still living at the boarding house, that wouldn't stop Matt from suing us, or me from having that bizarre dream?" she pointed out, watching him sigh deeply.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. All we can do is count down the days until he runs out of time to make his move." Arnold thought out loud.

"Yep. Now let's go see what fun film they picked out. With our luck, Geraldo found a sequel to Pop Daddy." she scoffed, watching Arnold roll his eyes.

The two then walked down the street, holding hands together. "Walking while holding hands towards the theater. Feels like high school all over again doesn't it football head?" she smirked.

Arnold began to rub her hand, looking at her with his emerald, half lidded eyes. "Yeah, it kind of does."

His romantic stare was then interrupted by "Hey Arnold! How's it going man?"

Arnold turned to see his best friend, eager to enter the theater. "Hey Gerald. Did you two pick a movie?"

"Keep in mind this was not my idea." Gerald began, watching Arnold shrug his shoulders.

"Phoebe suggested we see the new Babe Watch movie." he finished, as Arnold began to blush, thinking back to his appearance on the show with Helga.

"Sounds good to me!" Helga exclaimed, smiling at her best friend.

The four of them then bought their tickets, while Arnold began to scratch his head. _I need to remember to ask Gerald to back us up in the case when the movie is over._

Heading towards the snack stand, Arnold's thoughts were interrupted when he heard "So, you want a box of ice cream nuggets, a tub of popcorn, a yahoo soda, all of the above?"

"Huh? Oh, I guess we can get all of that to share. Thanks Helga." he smiled, while she cocked her brow "Man, you're turning into Geraldo over here."

"Will you EVER let that class president thing go?" he exclaimed.

"I don't know. Will you ever let that fro go?" she scoffed, walking towards the snack stand.

Watching Arnold's concerned look, Gerald turned to him "Why exactly did you marry her again?"

Sighing towards his friend, he replied "Gerald, you may have been right about Matt."

Gerald's eyes widened as he replied "What happened?"

"Nothing yet, but if something does, I could lose Helga. There are severe consequences for punching another person."

"No kidding man! I can't believe Brainey hasn't pressed charges yet!" Gerald exclaimed.

"Her manager, Mark, has offered to be our lawyer and said as long as Matt can't find anyone to say they were offended by the fight, we have nothing to worry about." Arnold explained.

"Well, that's good news isn't it?" his friend asked, shrugging his shoulders.

"What if he has plenty of people willing to testify? They could do it just to be nice, rather than because they were actually offended. Then what?!" Arnold grabbed Gerald, watching his eyes widen.

"Calm down man! What'd this Mark guy say for you to do?" Gerald asked, pulling away.

"He suggested we find a few people who would be willing to defend us in case Matt has people doing the same for him." Arnold replied, while seeing the unapproving look on Gerald's face.

"I was hoping you and Phoebe could be there for us, in case the worst should happen." he finished, watching Gerald shake his head in disbelief.

"Man! First I'm your wedding coordinator, now I'm your court witness! .mmm!" Gerald said, shaking his head.

Seeing the look of sorrow in his friend's eyes, he replied "Alright buddy, we'll be there for you."

Arnold lifted his head with relief at these words, while the girls were returning with the snacks.

"Here you are Gerald. A yahoo soda and a hot dog." Phoebe said, handing him the snacks.

"Thanks babe!" he replied, knowing one day he'd be proposing to her.

"Take your pick football head, ice cream nuggets or popcorn?" she asked, showing him the treats.

Glancing at the treats, he said "I'll take the ice cream. Wouldn't want you making a mess on your face again!" he laughed, while she began to glare at him.

As the four of them entered the theater, they took a seat close to the back. Helga was tempted to ask for an ice cream nugget, but knew Arnold was right about her messy eating habits.

While Helga sat in between Arnold and Phoebe, she listened to her best friend say "I'm quite looking forward to this movie. Babe Watch was always considered one of the more popular shows when we were in grade school."

Gerald shook his head in disagreement. "Man, I never cared for it. The most action you ever saw was a person drowning."

Both Arnold and Helga blushed at this, thinking about their 'CPR' scene on the episode they were lucky enough to appear in together. Arnold wanted to put his hand on hers, but it was being used to shove piece after piece of popcorn into her mouth.

"Oh look! It's starting." Phoebe pointed, while Gerald leaned back in his seat. "Something tells me this is not going to be worth my time or money."

Helga kept her eyes on the screen the entire movie. From the moment the lifeguards met for their first day of training to the scene that reminded her of the special moment she shared with her beloved…

 _Oh Arnold my love! What a treasured moment we shared! How could I have been so cruel to you during such a special week? Despite my thick guise and harsh behavior, I managed to open my heart and show you I cared. I made mys…._ Crimity!

Helga's thoughts were then interrupted by brain freeze. When she looked down, she saw Arnold had mixed in the ice cream nuggets with the popcorn. Turning to look at him with a mouth full of chocolate and butter, she whispered "You're dead when we get home!"

"Like your brain almost was?" he couldn't help but tease her.

Seeing her clench her fists, Arnold knew he should back off. He just couldn't however. Rubbing her thigh, sticking his hand into the bucket of what was now popcorn and ice cream, he asked "What if we ended up being in this?"

She smirked at his question. "I think you'd have to shrink about six inches to match your former self football head."

Leaving his hand on her thigh the rest of the movie, the two just sat back and enjoyed the film. When it was over, Gerald stood and gave his opinion. "Although it was no Evil Twin movie, I gotta say, it was nice not watching you two lip wrestle for once!"

Helga rolled her eyes at his unnecessary remark. "Yeah well, don't get used to it tall hair boy!"

The four then left the theater, heading in separate directions. While walking Phoebe home, Gerald said "So, Arnold says he and Helga may need us to be witnesses if Matt tries to press charges."

"Matt? From high school? Helga hasn't mentioned anything?!" Phoebe asked worriedly.

"That's probably because they've been too focused on that wedding ring business of hers. I suggested Arnold consider serious therapy for themselves before he considers a career in it." Gerald said, while Phoebe ignored the joke.

"Anyway, they have a lawyer. It all boils down to how many people Matt can get to convince the court were actually offended by the situation. That is, if he even tries to sue them." Gerald explained, while Phoebe nodded her head.

"They have nothing to fear. We're their best friends! We could never let anything happen to them!" Phoebe said, while Gerald smiled at her supportive attitude.

Meanwhile, Arnold and Helga had just made it back to the apartment. "I'm still thinking about how to get you back for that food trick hairboy!" she scowled.

"Is your mind still frozen?" Arnold asked wittingly, loving that he was the one messing with her for once.

"Oh zip it football head!" she scowled, heading for the bedroom.

Watching her walk away, he asked "Wait, aren't you hungry?"

"Nah. I'm kind of tired. I think I'm just going to go to bed." she sighed, watching him follow after her.

As he laid down beside her, he asked "Are you sure you're okay?"

Yawning deeply, she scowled "I'm just tired. Sheesh! It was a work day not a lay around and do whatever the heck you want day!"

"Whatever you say Helga." he sighed, kissing her on the head. He sat beside her, gently stroking her hair until she passed out beside him. Watching her sleep peacefully, the thought of losing her once again made him sick to his stomach.

He wasn't going to be able to fall asleep any time soon. Therefore, he decided to go to the computer to work on their 'something special' for that week.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: It Finally Came

The next morning, Helga awoke to a warm wet feeling around her lips. Slowly opening her eyes, she saw her husband's face, feeling him swipe his tongue all around her mouth. After watching him pull away, she gazed into his half lidded eyes. Letting out a deep sigh, she asked "What was that about, football head?"

"You had some chocolate left over from those ice cream nuggets. I thought I should get it off for you." he blushed.

Rolling her eyes, as she sat up, she scoffed "So, first you play that cold trick on me, then you're nice enough to let me leave the theater looking like I don't know how to wipe me face? Sheesh!"

Watching her throw the covers off herself, he laughed "Well, I told Gerald we wouldn't make out. Besides, you don't know how to wipe your face...without me."

Turning to glare at him, while grabbing her clothes, she asked "Since when do you care more about tall hair boy's opinion than mine?"

Scratching his head, he replied "You're right. I wanted to hold your hand during the movie, but you were too busy with the popcorn. Which is kind of why I threw the ice cream in there. I figured it would make you set your hand down on the armrest. All it did was make you want to throw your fist in my face."

Rolling her eyes, she smirked "Yeah, well. Now you know not to listen to tall hair boy."

The two then headed for the kitchen, while Helga reached for her cereal. To her dismay, the box was empty "What the…?"

Arnold raised an eyebrow, asking "What's wrong?"

"My stupid cereal is gone!" she scowled.

"Why is the box still up there then?" he asked, placing a waffle in the toaster.

"I don't know. Miriam always used to leave empty food boxes scattered around the house to trick Bob into thinking she had actually gone shopping!" Helga scowled, crossing her arms.

"So, you're turning into her then?" Arnold smiled, not caring how mad that made her.

"Hey! Don't EVER insult me like that!" she scowled, pointing a finger at him.

Rolling his eyes at her, he replied "I think you're pretty much the one who said it, or at least implied it."

"Whatever, I'll just leave early. Go grab a doughnut or something! Sheesh!" she scowled, not caring about the concern Arnold felt when he heard this.

"But I can make you something else? You don't have to do that?!" he insisted, not meaning to sound too desperate.

"It's no biggie. Mark and I are just goofing off for the next two days. We blew through program planning! It's almost like Matt did us a favor. Well, see ya football head!" she said, walking out the door.

Arnold sat down at the table, not caring about his breakfast anymore.

 _Did her a favor?! Is she kidding?! So she has nothing better to do at work now than spend time with Mark? What if he DOES like her, and he just won't admit it? Worse...what's going to happen if we lose this case?! I can't lose her!_

On Helga's way to grab a doughnut at the cafe, she ran into Phoebe. She was entering the line, just as Helga was. "Hey Pheebs, what's up?"

"Good morning Helga. I thought I would surprise Gerald with some doughnuts this morning."

Helga placed a hand on her waist as she scoffed "Yeah, he'll love that."

After a moment of silence occurred, Phoebe couldn't help but say "Gerald told me about your problem. I want you to know we're always here for you and Arnold."

Helga did her best not to blush. The last thing she wanted was to appear weak in any type of situation. It was killing her that she needed help from anyone with this; even Arnold. Why couldn't she just punch Matt, and that be the ended it. After all, he started everything.

"Thanks Pheebs. It means a lot." she replied.

Meanwhile, Arnold had managed to get his mind together long enough to stand and head for the door. Not enough to make himself eat anything however. When he made it outside, Jason was waiting for him. Right away, Jason could tell something was troubling Arnold. It was as if he had been a therapist for several years already.

"Are you okay Arnold? You don't look too good?" he asked.

He gave a concerned look. If he mentioned how he was beginning to feel about Mark, it would obviously cause problems for them as far as the case went. If he told Jason he was concerned about the case, it's not as if Jason could do much more than he had already. After all, he wasn't a lawyer.

"Huh? Oh I'm just tired. Helga went to bed early last night. At first I thought it was strange, but then I passed out not long after her. I guess we were more tired than we thought." Arnold said, hoping he'd buy it.

"I understand. Your mind can play tricks on you. I guess I should have brought the car this morning." Jason said, while Arnold turned to look at him.

"I forgot, Helga said when you ran into her one day, you gave her a ride. Do you walk just so you can see me?" Arnold couldn't help but ask.

"Well, I didn't have a car when I moved in with Mark, so we switch every now and then. He has to be at work much earlier than I do anyway, so he's usually the one to take it. Jason explained.

Arnold began to think about how their closeness reminded him of his with Gerald. He could tell Gerald anything, no matter what type of problem he was having. They were always willing to help each other out. He had been having so much trouble with Helga lately however, she was all they really talked about.

Meanwhile, Helga had made it to work with her breakfast. "Here ya go Mark. I stopped for coffee and doughnuts. There's never anything good at my place." she scoffed.

Smiling at her, he replied "Thank you, Helga! Hopefully that will change after a few weeks of cooking lessons from Jason. You could always grab a doughnut from the breakroom if you need to."

Rolling her eyes at just now being given this information, she sighed "So, what will we be doing today?"

"I was actually going to ask if you and Arnold had found any people to defend yourselves in court yet?" Mark asked cautiously.

Taking a sip of her coffee, Helga said "Oh yeah, our friends were more than willing to help."

"Were they actual witnesses? They can't just make up stories about what happened, or walk in saying you would never hurt someone without good reason." he explained.

Helga sat her coffee down, thinking to herself _Crimity! I don't know what all they saw, or if they were even there!_

Meanwhile, Arnold and Jason knew they would be sitting in the seminar room one more day before a staff meeting occurred.

Taking a seat together, Jason turned to Arnold. "We've discussed anger quite a bit. I wonder if he'll discuss the importance of any of the other topics that were mentioned?"

Arnold had too much on his mind to even know if what he was feeling could even be considered anger anymore.

"Alright everyone. Today, we're going to be talking about anxiety. In some ways stress can be useful. It can help push you to get the work done you need to. What's terrible is letting the fear too much anxiety brings prevent you from enjoying your life. It causes you to overthink everything."

Arnold sat there comparing this to what he and Helga had been going through. He told her he was overthinking the fact she lost her ring after seeing their two new 'friends' walk into their lives. Now it was even starting to bother him. So much so, he was just as concerned about her spending time with Mark, the person who could save her from going to jail!

 _Maybe I should just get a grip! I don't like what's going on in our lives right now, but it's now as dramatic as it seems._

While Arnold was pondering this, Mark was finishing up the importance of finding witnesses who knew exactly what had gone on the day of the fight. "Like I said, people lie in court profusely, but if they're caught, the consequences are dire!"

"Yeah, yeah, I gotcha!" she exclaimed, picking up her things. "Well, I guess I'll see ya tomorrow."

"Alright then. Try to know by Monday who saw something if you can." Mark asked hopefully.

"Will do. Thanks for the help." Helga said, waving goodbye to him.

As she was heading out the door, she thought to herself _Crimity! Now I have to find out if Pheebs or Geraldo saw anything! If not, I have to go through every freakin' one of our friends from our grade school class! Sheesh!_

While Helga was having this emotional crisis all the way home, Arnold was leaving his seminar with Jason.

"It was nice talking about something new. It's also sad to hear how much some people struggle with something like that." Jason pointed out, while Arnold's mind was still in more than one place.

"Uhh yeah. I guess that's true. Well, I should be getting home." Arnold admitted, hoping not to sound too anxious.

"Alright. See you tomorrow!" Jason said, sounding overwhelmingly happy the end of the week was approaching.

Arnold walked home, continuing to wonder if the past two weeks had all been a bigger deal than he and Helga lead on. Mark and Jason hadn't tried anything funny. If anything, they were helping him and Helga. All he had to do was pray the case ended well.

 _I can't become the pessimistic one. Helga needs me to think optimistically!_

Making it home, he saw her in the kitchen, going through the cabinets. "Hey, what's up?"

After not seeing her turn around, he thought to himself _Can she really not hear me, or is her mind just as far gone as mine is?_

He didn't care at that point however. While Helga was searching the cabinets for some easy mac, she felt a set of arms around her waist. Jumping back, she scowled "Sheesh football head! I told you not to…"

Turning her around before she could finish, Arnold placed his lips on hers. Putting his hand behind her head, swiping his tongue all across the inside of her mouth, he pulled away to say "I guess you had that doughnut this morning?"

Rolling her eyes at him, she scoffed "Yeah, so? It doesn't taste like you had anything sweet."

Placing his face against hers, he said "I didn't eat this morning."

Cocking her brow at him, she lifted her head "What are you talking about? I saw you with a waffle ready to scarf down."

"Last night when you fell asleep, I laid there looking at you, thinking how terrible it would be if we lost the case. I had never actually stopped to think about what would happen to you. Then, this morning you said you were just going to be spending time, messing around with Mark; like Matt did you a favor by getting that program planning practice in. I don't know which one scared me more. Losing you because of Matt, or spending time with Mark because of him." he said sadly, watching her eyes widen.

"Arnold, you told me I was being ridiculous by thinking they could come between us. Now here you are acting like I was a week ago." she pointed out.

Hesitating to say this next part, he had to be honest with her. "Helga, you said you were weak, and asked me never to leave you. I would never leave you. That doesn't mean nothing would make you have second thoughts about me if something as simple as a dream or losing your ring made you question whether or not we were meant to be together."

Clenching her fists, she scowled "So, you're basically saying you don't trust that I won't cheat on you with one of our new 'friends'?"

Taking a seat at the table, Arnold realized how terrible he had made everything sound. "I never said you would cheat on me. I was just worried you would start to have feelings for one of them. I guess they've done enough to prove they wouldn't try anything funny though."

"That still doesn't excuse the accusation you made towards me! That I would leave you for one of them!" she exclaimed, placing her hands on her hips.

Standing up from the table, he sighed "You're right, I'm sorry. What can I do to make it up to you?"

 _Crimity! Him and his guilt trips! Why does he have to be so easy to forgive?_

Rolling her eyes, she replied "You can start by helping me ask Geraldo and Pheebs if they actually saw the fight we had with Matt!"

Giving a confused look, he asked "They already said they would help us. Why do they have to have seen anything?"

Doing her best not to scowl, she replied "Because Mark says that's not good enough. There could be stupid consequences if we 'pretend' they were there!"

Gulping at the thought of this getting any worse than he had pictured it, Arnold asked "What kind of consequences?"

Clenching her fists, she began to scowl "Sheesh football head! I don't know! I'm no lawyer!"

It was then he noticed her anger turning to tears. As she turned to hide them, he walked closer to hug her. Feeling terrible for questioning her, for letting his anxiety get the best of him and his optimism fail him, he said "I'm so sorry Helga! We'll get through this!"

Sniffling, with her back turned to him, she asked "Yeah, how do you figure?"

Arnold squeezed her tight, knowing all they could do was hope their friends had seen something and have that be enough to protest against Matt.

"Because I've been doing a terrible job of doing what you always admired me for...looking on the bright side. That's all going to change though! I won't let anything bad happen to you Helga! If one of us does get in trouble, I'll make sure it's me, not you!" he assured her, as she turned around to face him.

Throwing her arms around him, he listened to her soft sobs. Each one broke his heart, but he knew revealing that to her would only crush whatever hope she had left inside of her.

Lifting her face up to wipe it, she said "I guess it's a good thing I'm not wearing makeup. Your shirt never would have made it."

Not caring about that, he pressed his lips against hers softly. Leaning his head against hers, he asked "Do you want to invite Gerald and Phoebe over? The four of us could call everybody to get together on Saturday for lunch. We could find out then if anyone saw anything?"

Wiping her eyes, she said "What have we got to lose?"

While Helga went to change her clothes, Arnold called Gerald.

Ring...Ring...Ring…

"Hello?"

"Hey Gerald."

"Hey man. What's up?"

"I was wondering if you and Phoebe wanted to come over tonight?"

"I'm on my way!"

"Thanks Gerald."

"Bye man."

Walking into the bedroom, he saw his sad wife sitting on the bed. "Well, Gerald's on his way over."

Wiping her nose, she replied "I texted Pheebs. She should be here soon."

Arnold sat beside her, rubbing her back. He was ashamed of himself for losing his optimism. The thought of losing his wife to anyone for any reason just tore him up inside. Even she said it was okay to have a rough side. This appeared to be his weak side however.

While these thoughts were racing through his mind, he felt her head fall onto his shoulder. A sigh of exhaustion released from her.

"Are you going to be okay if we have them over tonight, or do you just need to get some rest now?" he asked, seeing her with her eyes shut.

Not opening them as she breathed softly against him, she sighed "Let's just get what we can over with."

Arnold picked her hand up to hold, rubbing it softly, while holding her against his shoulder with his other. He loved having her close to comfort her and never wanted the feeling to end.

Knock! Knock!

"Crimity! They're here already?!" Helga scowled, not wanting to sit her head up.

"Sounds that way." Arnold sighed, while getting up to answer the door. Helga went to the bathroom, thinking to herself _How red is my face? I can't let anyone know I was crying!_

Arnold opened the door to see a package was being delivered.

"Hi, could you sign for this please?"

"Oh, uh sure." he said, handing back the paper, while being handed the tiny box.

Arnold looked at it, assuming Helga had ordered herself something. The only question was what? _I guess it's not a felony to open it since we're married? Then again, I know how personal she still is about everything. It still should be okay for me…_

Knock! Knock!

Still being next to the door, Arnold simply turned around to open it. There he saw Gerald and Phoebe together. Somehow they always managed to arrive simultaneously. _I guess they like to pick one up on the way over, no matter how far out of the way it may be?_

Arnold thought to himself.

"Where's Helga, Arnold?" Phoebe asked politely.

"Oh, she might still be in the bathroom. She should be out soon." he assumed, while Phoebe went to take a seat on the couch.

Gerald took a look at what was in his friend's hand and said "I see it finally came!"

Arnold gave a confused look, not knowing what his best friend was talking about, or what was even in the box.

"What is this Gerald?" Arnold asked, just as his wife entered the room.

"What is what?" Helga couldn't help but ask, standing in the bedroom doorway.

Arnold hesitated to respond, looking over at Gerald. He wasn't the one who ordered it. Was he supposed to open it now, in front of Helga?

"It's uhh…" Arnold began, before being interrupted.

"Good afternoon Helga! You don't look as though you're feeling too well?" Phoebe couldn't help but point out.

Trying not to sniffle, Helga replied "I'll be fine. It was just a long day at work."

Phoebe had been Helga's best friend her entire life. She knew Helga was just as sensitive as she was rough. They spent enough time together for her to know when Helga was trying to hold back her emotions.

Frowning at her response, Phoebe replied "Well alright then. What did you and Arnold need help with?"

Arnold, being grateful for the distraction, slipped the package into the kitchen drawer. _Hopefully she won't look in here before they leave!_

"Apparently, my manager says you and Geraldo being willing to defend us in our case against Matt isn't worth squat if you didn't actually SEE anything." Helga began, seeing Phoebe's eyes widen.

"So, unless you two DID see something, we need help calling everyone to get them together for lunch on Saturday." Helga sighed, once again hating the thought of asking someone for help.

Phoebe however was always happy to help her friend, knowing Gerald was willing to do the same for Arnold, whether or not he admitted it.

"Gerald and I would be happy to Helga!"

Cocking her brow, Helga said "Uh huh. So, what all did you see, if anything?"

The boys walked over to the living room with the girls. "Well, I'm sorry to say I didn't see anything Helga. It wasn't until Amanda spread the word on the bus the next morning that I found out. I believe that may be the case with Gerald as well." Phoebe replied, looking over at him.

"Yeah man! You know I didn't stick around school any longer than I had to." Gerald reminded them.

Arnold rolled his eyes, as Helga leaned back on the couch, crossing her arms. "Well, I guess that leaves us with no choice but to call everybody." he sighed.

"Man! It's like I'm your wedding coordinator all over again!" Gerald pouted, while Helga cocked her brow.

"You think making a bunch of phone calls was bad? Try passing out invites, shopping for clothes, picking your stylists, picking the location, setting up the parties, oh and let's not forget working with Princess through it all! Sheesh!" Helga scowled, leaning forward in her seat.

Noticing the tension building up, Phoebe jumped in. "I believe we're getting off topic here."

"Yeah, they're not going to care about what happened at the wedding. Matt had nothing to do with that, did he?" Arnold asked, turning his head towards Helga.

Sighing heavily, she replied "No, I punched his lights out a few days before you ended up proposing...or should I say, a few days before Amanda announced your proposal for me."

"Either way, we need to get these calls made. You two didn't see anything, but it happened in front of the school. This means someone had to have seen it." Arnold pointed out.

Gerald and Phoebe began pulling out their phones, while Arnold noticed Helga heading for the kitchen.

While Gerald didn't seem to care about the chance of Helga finding the box, Arnold went to follow Helga.

After pulling a glass from the cabinet, she turned to see Arnold standing behind her. "Sheesh football head! What are you doing right here?"

"I just came to see if you needed help with anything?" he said, knowing how stupid that probably sounded.

Cocking her brow, she replied "No? I'm pretty sure I can get my own water."

As he was about to head back towards the living room, he saw her digging through the counter drawers. "What are you looking for?"

Turning to give him an agitated look, she replied "I need some Excedrin for my head. You know what crying does to me." she would have shouted, had there friends not been so close.

"Uhh let me get it. I think it's in the bedroom." he raced in there, hoping she wouldn't continue going through the drawers.

"Whatever." she sighed, taking a seat on the couch.

After all the calls had been made, Arnold had a look of relief on his face, while Helga was laying her head back on the couch.

"Are you going to be alright Helga?" Phoebe asked.

Sitting herself up, with her hand on her head, she replied "Yeah, I just need to get some shut eye. If there's nothing left to do, I think I'll go to bed early."

"You're skipping dinner again?!" Arnold asked with a concerned look on his face.

Turning to face him, as she stood from the couch, she scoffed "If I get hungry, I know where the fridge is. Sheesh! Thanks for coming Pheebs."

Gerald shook his head at her negativity while Phoebe simply waved goodbye to her.

"Well, I best be going. I hope she feels better Arnold." Phoebe said.

"Thanks for your help Phoebe. I guess we'll see you at Antonio's Saturday." Arnold said, walking her out the door.

"Will you be joining me Gerald?" she asked, before stepping outside.

"If it's okay with you babe, I need to talk to Arnold about something." he asked, hoping she would understand.

Phoebe nodded her hand empathetically, while Arnold waved goodbye to her.

After closing the door behind her, he went to make sure Helga was resting peacefully. Seeing she had already fallen asleep, he quietly shut the door to their bedroom, and headed to get the package from the counter drawer.

"Alright Gerald, I'm guessing whatever you need to talk to me about has something to do with this?" Arnold asked.

Rolling his eyes, Gerald said "Instead of guessing, why not just open it?"

Full of anticipation, his eyes widened at the sight of it. "Gerald! What is this?!"

Shaking his head at his best friend's density, he replied "What do you think it is?"

"I can't accept this!" Arnold said, handing it back to him.

Lifting an eyebrow, Gerald replied "ACCEPT? Man, I hope you don't think it's made for you from me?!"

Rolling his eyes, Arnold asked "How could you even afford this?"

"Well, you know it's summer break, which has given us plenty of free time to goof off." Gerald began, while Arnold thought to himself _Maybe for you it has._

"So, I've been spending a lot of my time at the arcade." he continued, watching Arnold roll his eyes at the thought of playing the same game over and over.

"Despite the annoyance of Pataki beating my number one score on Runaway Bus Driver, plenty of kids are impressed with my moves." he continued, while Arnold raised an eyebrow.

"Therefore, I offered to give lessons for $10 a kid, five days a week. Believe you me, that money adds up fast man!" Gerald exclaimed, while Arnold smiled, staring at the $300 ring.

"It's just like the one I bought for her when I proposed."

"Only this time Bob won't be replacing you with Gino." Gerald said wittingly, while watching Arnold roll his eyes.

"Uhh right. Just one thing." Arnold said, rubbing his neck.

Gerald rolled his eyes at his best friend's need to find a problem another problem. "What is it?"

"Should I tell Helga this is a new ring, or that I found the old one?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Gerald asked "I don't know. What does it matter? A ring's a ring!"

"Yeah, you're right. Thanks again!" Arnold said, giving his best friend their secret handshake."

After watching him leave, Arnold sat down on the couch with the ring. _I can't believe Gerald did this for me! Should I tell Helga the truth? She said herself I'm the one over-reacting about everything now. Why would she care where it came from?_

Just then, he heard what sounded like a crash in the bedroom. Arnold quickly shoved the ring into his pocket, while racing in to check on Helga.

"Helga?! Are you alright?" he exclaimed, opening the door.

"Yeah, yeah, my water just spilled everywhere. Crimity!" she scowled.

Smiling at her, he said "I'll grab a towel."

When he returned with a few, he saw her already on the floor wiping the water with one. "Oh, I didn't know there were any in here?"

Rolling her eyes, she scoffed "Well, it's not like we have a bathroom in our bedroom or anything. Sheesh!"

"Whatever you say Helga." he sighed, bending down to help her.

"So, what did Geraldo stick around for after Pheebs left?" she asked, hearing him gulp.

"How did you know he stayed?" Arnold asked nervously.

"I could hear something going on out there. Unless you were practicing your therapy techniques on yourself, I assumed you were talking to him." she said wittingly.

"Oh, we were just talking about meeting with everyone at lunch on Saturday." Arnold said, feeling terrible for lying. He had spent his entire relationship before their marriage getting her to be honest, and less secretive with him. Now here he was, having a hard time opening up to her and continuing to remain the optimistic one.

Wiping the last of the water up, with her hair hanging in her face, she sat on the floor against the nightstand. "What was left to talk about? Everyone knows we're meeting for pizza to discuss the fight. He and Pheebs already agreed to back us up in court...not that they're of any use to us now. Sheesh!"

Moving closer to her, he could feel the ring moving in his pocket. Helga noticed him trying to shift something, as she asked "What's in your pocket, hairboy?"

His eyes widened, not knowing what to say. "Oh, umm it's nothing."

"So, you just like touching yourself? If so, your private area is over here." she said, touching the front of his pants.

Still seeing, as well as feeling, she wasn't removing her hand, a tingle went through his body. Placing his hand on top of hers, he said softly "I like 'you' touching me."

A smile then formed on her face, while he pushed her hair back out of it with his other hand. Leaning their heads together, he said "I'm sorry."

Before she could say anything, he added "I'm sorry for losing my optimism; for making you worry when you needed me most. Also, I'm sorry for not having faith in you. You said you felt weak. If anything, I should have been encouraging you to see you're not. Not giving you more reasons to believe our relationship is in danger. Please forgive me."

Holding back her tears, she said "Sheesh football head, I just got rid of my headache! Don't give me another one!"

Pulling her head in for a long passionate kiss, he pressed her hand against his lower area firmly. This gave him the urge to lay on top of her, rubbing as hard as he could until...CLINK!

With their lips still pressed together, they looked over to see what had fallen onto the floor.

Arnold let out a deep sigh, not knowing what to say. He wasn't going to keep any secrets from her if he didn't want her keeping any from him.

"So, are you going to get up to see what that was?" she asked.

Standing up, he helped her off the floor. After grabbing the ring to hold in his fist, he turned to see her already sitting on the bed.

"It seems a bit uncanny to be afraid to show me what you're holding after that heartfelt apology you just gave." she said wittingly.

Kneeling before her, he said "You're right. I just wasn't sure how I should do this."

"Do what?" she asked, cocking her brow.

"I made respecting your privacy to be one of my vows. These past two weeks have shown me just how much being open and honest means to me though. Like I said, I did a terrible job showing that by letting my fear of losing you get the best of me. I don't want anything or anyone coming between us. This came for you today, but it's not from me." Arnold said, handing her the ring.

Helga went wide eyed when she saw it, thinking it was the ring she had lost. Grabbing it with anticipation, she then took in all of Arnold's words. "Wait? If it's not from you, does that mean you figured out who found it?!"

Arnold sighed, placing his hand on her knee "No, it's not your real ring."

Helga's face dropped with disappointment, then filled with confusion. "So, if it's not my ring, and it's not from you? Where'd it come from then?"

Rubbing her knee, he explained "Gerald ordered a new one for you."

Cocking her brow, she replied "If tall hair boy thinks he's getting a piece of me…"

Arnold rolled his eyes, replying "No, he gave it to me to give to you. I think I was just getting on his nerves. Half the time we hung out, I tried getting him to find someone who might have known what happened to your real one."

Helga sat there staring at it a moment, thinking to herself _It looks just like the old one._

After a moment of examining it, she handed it back to her beloved. Arnold's face dropped full of disappointment, yet not surprised by her reaction.

"Well, you gonna put it on me or what?" she scowled.

His face then lit up, as his heart filled with relief. Sliding it on her, he watched the content smile form on her face. "I gotta say, Geraldo's not as dense as he seems."

Rolling his eyes, he replied, "Whatever you say Helga." Arnold sat beside her on the bed, watching her lay her head down on his shoulder, as she played with her ring. He was so happy to see her happy.

Hearing her sigh as he rubbed her shoulder, she said "I love you Arnold. Thank you for loving me back."

Turning her face towards him, he pressed his lips softly against hers. "I'll love you even more if you eat dinner with me tonight."

"Whatever floats your boat, football head." she scoffed.

The two then headed for the kitchen, while Helga began searching the freezer for anything worth eating.

"So is my ring the reason you kept following me in here like a lost puppy earlier?" she scoffed.

Scratching his head, he replied "Uhh yeah. I didn't know what was in the box, and wanted to find out before you did."

"Guess it's a good thing you did, huh football head?" Helga smirked.

"Whatever you say Helga." Arnold sighed, pulling out some plates. After not being pleased with the freezer, Helga pulled out some pasta from the cabinet.

"Aren't you sick of easy mac?" Arnold asked.

"Pttss...I don't know? Aren't you sick of TV dinners?" she scowled.

Shrugging his shoulders, he replied "At least they cook fast."

"So does easy mac. Why do you think they call it EASY?"

"They call it that because of the instructions on how to make it, not the time it takes to prepare it." he explained, seeing a glare form on her face.

"Oh, what do you know Arnoldo!" she exclaimed.

"I know I'm right." he laughed, not caring how offended she was.

"You wanna put money on it?!" she asked, pointing a spoon at him.

"I have a better idea." he said, with a smile on his face.

Placing her hands on her hips, she scowled "I'm listening."

"I finally thought of something to do for our special event this week." he began, while she interrupted.

"You mean, now that the week's practically over!"

"Uhh right. Anyway, whoever wins, gets to do whatever they want to the other person during the activity." he explained.

Cocking her brow, she asked "Okay...what's this activity?"

"You'll just have to wait and see." he grinned widely.

"Pttss...whatever! You're on" she exclaimed.

Arnold pulled out his TV dinner from the freezer. The instructions said it would take ten minutes to microwave.

Placing it in, Helga began to boil the water on the stove, thinking to herself _Crimity! His is baking and I'm just standing here watching the water take it's sweet time to heat before I can dump in the noodles!_

Arnold walked over to get a glass from the cabinet next to where Helga was standing. He could sense the anticipation forming inside her, while seeing her body shake and eyes glancing back from the stove to the microwave.

Seeing she was ready to pour in the noodles, he placed his hand on hers. "You're supposed to wait until the water boils."

"I can eat it however I want Arnoldo!" she scowled.

"Helga, if that was the case, I could just pull my dinner out and eat it frozen right now." he sighed.

"Oh fine. Have it your way!" she scoffed, crossing her arms.

Noticing the water had finally boiled after Arnold's dinner was halfway cooked, Helga didn't waste a second dumping her noodles in. She stirred profusely, while Arnold was ready to give her another pointer.

"If you stir too much, they never have time to cook." he said, trying to hold back his laugh.

Clenching her fist, she scowled "Hey! If you want ME to win, just go ahead and give me the instructions for this special activity of yours now, bucko!"

Leaning back against the stove, eyeing her pasta, she could feel sweat forming on her face. However, it could have just been from hovering over the hot boiling water.

With less than a minute to go on Arnold's dinner, Helga had decided her noodles were good enough. Arnold sat at the table, doing his best not to laugh at her anticipation.

"Crimity! Where is the stupid collinder!" she scowled.

"Ten...Nine...Eight…" he couldn't help but countdown, knowing he was just asking for it.

"Oh zip it hairboy!" she screamed, throwing her spoon on the counter, as the microwave dinged.

Arnold then pulled out his hot dinner to place on the table. "Hmm...looks like I win." he said, watching her glare at him.

"Yeah, yeah, so what?!" she scowled, turning away to search for the collinder.

Walking over to help, he said "I think it's all the way in the back. I was having trouble closing the cabinet, so I just threw it as far back as possible the other day."

Glaring at him, she said "And you thought it would be fair to not mention this until it was too late for me to win the competition?"

"I think we both knew I was going to win." he said, wrapping his arms around her.

Rolling her eyes, she said "I think you mean the microwave won. YOU didn't actually do anything."

"Does that mean you want the microwave to take my place tomorrow?" he asked, pressing his nose against hers.

"Can't say? You still haven't told me what we're doing." she pointed out.

Wanting badly to say it, he closed his eyes and rested his lips against hers. "We're…"

Feeling him breathe softly against her, she said "You gonna tell me or what?" Not turned on by his hesitation.

After a moment of silence, she pulled away. "Fine. Show me tomorrow. The food I would have beaten you with, had you not hid my cooking attire, is getting cold!"

The two sat down at the table. Arnold silently eating his meal, while listening to what turned out to be Helga's crunchy pasta.

"I guess you not having the collinder didn't matter." he laughed, watching her cock her brow.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Those noodles don't sound cooked all the way." he smiled.

"Oh, shut up and eat!" she scowled.

"Whatever you say Helga."

After finishing their dinner, the two then headed for the bedroom. Helga changed into her nightgown and slipped under the covers, so happy to see a ring on her finger once again. While she was smiling at it, she felt her husband slip under the covers behind her, placing his arm around her. Holding her hand, he kissed her cheek and said "I love you, with or without it."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Something Special

The next morning, Helga awoke to see the ring still on her finger. Her heart was filled with joy knowing she had someone who cared so much about her. When she turned over to face him, he was sleeping peacefully. Brushing the hair out of his face, she pulled him in for a firm, passionate kiss.

Arnold's eyes flew open, wondering what was going on. _I hope she didn't have another nightmare!_

Thinking she was about to let him go, she pulled his face closer, pressing him tightly against her. Feeling as though she was using his air as her own, tilting their heads to meet the right angle, they were then interrupted by... "Hey Arnold! Hey Arnold! Hey Arnold!"

Helga's eyes slowly opened, matching Arnold's that had remained that way. Her lips however, hadn't left his, while he reached over to turn off the alarm.

Finally feeling her release a sigh of relief, he pushed her off to ask "Uhh what was that about?"

Rolling her eyes, she replied "Good morning to you too! Sheesh!"

Sitting up as he watched her get off him, he asked "Would you like me to make you some breakfast? An 'easy' breakfast."

Grabbing her clothes, she turned to glare at him. "Anything's easy if you do it, hairboy!"

Trying to dress as fast as her, he said "I don't know, you may rethink that after seeing our special activity tonight."

Rolling her eyes, she headed for the kitchen. Opening the fridge, she scowled "So when are we going shopping again? We're out of milk for crying out loud!"

Arnold sighed as he replied "I think you mean, when am 'I' going shopping again. That is, unless you plan on joining me this time?"

"If you're implying I'm no help around here…" she began, before he butted in.

"No, I'm just saying I was the one who went shopping last time, and I know that's not your thing. You're welcome to come this time if you'd like though."

Rolling her eyes, she replied "Pttss...fine! When are we going?"

Stopping to think a moment, Arnold said "Well, we'll be kind of busy having lunch with everyone tomorrow."

"Ya think?" she scowled.

"Plus, I already told Jason we could just have the cooking lessons at the boarding house. I guess that means it would be okay to wait until Sunday to shop." he finished, scratching his head.

"Fine, I'll just eat at work." she scoffed.

"They have breakfast at work?" Arnold asked.

"After I was nice enough to bring Mark a doughnut yesterday, he was nice enough to point out I could have just been getting them from the break room." she scoffed, while Arnold did his best not to laugh.

"Well, I'll see you tonight I guess." he replied

"See ya." she said, thinking more about breakfast than about saying goodbye.

Passing Jason on the way out, he stopped her to say "Good morning Helga! How are you?"

Clenching her fists, she replied "Fine. Just headed to work. If I'm lucky Mark will already be waiting to tell me Matt's behind bars."

Jason gave a questioning look, as he replied "Uhh I don't think he mentioned anything about that?"

Rolling her eyes, she thought _Does this idiot not know what sarcasm is?!_

Just then, Arnold came walking out the door. "Hey guys, what's going on?"

"I was just telling Helga not to get her hopes up about Matt's case being taken care of already. There's still plenty of research to do." Jason replied, while Helga shook her head at his ignorance.

"Yeah, well I gotta go. See ya." she sighed, heading towards her office.

Arnold watched her walk away, only hoping her day would go well. That kiss from her was a bit unexpected. Then again, everything she did was unexpected. She was one of the most complexing people he had ever known.

 _Maybe she's just excited about tonight? Maybe she's worried about losing the case? Maybe she's just happy to have the ring back? Maybe she's…_

"Hey Arnold! Are you ready to go?" Jason asked, noticing he hadn't taken his eyes off his wife.

"Huh? Oh yeah, let's get going." Arnold replied, heading for the medical center.

"I'm excited to see what the staff meeting will be like. We've covered the topics about the patients in the seminars. Now we get to openly discuss everything." Jason reminded him, while Arnold's mind continued to drift.

"Yeah. That should uh be cool." Arnold said, staring at the ground, although not completely focused on what Jason had to say.

Meanwhile, Helga had just made it to work. _Guess I'll stop in the breakroom, since I could have been stopping in there all along! Sheesh!_

There she saw boxes of chocolate, glaze, cinnamon rolls, eclairs, doughnut holes.

 _Crimity! When I do get promoted, I'm having my assistant bring me a box of each kind of these every morning!_

After helping herself, she entered Mark's office licking the sugary remains of her breakfast off her fingers.

"So, whatcha got planned for this morning?" she asked.

Mark looked at her anxiously, "Well, did you find out if your friends were actual witnesses to the fight?"

Not looking concerned, Helga replied "The two we were planning on using said they didn't see anything. Don't worry though; we called everyone else we know to meet with us tomorrow and discuss anything they may have seen that day."

Mark smiled at her attempt to stay ahead of things. "Well good. Is it a large group of people you'll be meeting with?"

"Eh, maybe ten or twelve people." she shrugged her shoulders, leaning back in her chairs.

While Helga was calmly discussing this with Mark, Arnold and Jason were making their way to the staff meeting with Dr. Bliss.

"Good morning boys. The meeting will be in the room right across from where the seminars have been taking place. I'll be in there shortly." Dr. Bliss pointed out, while they anxiously headed there.

While Arnold was drawing to take his mind off Helga and point it more towards work, he noticed just how excited Jason was. "What are you so excited about?" he asked.

"We'll finally be able to share our opinions about the emotions we've been learning about, rather than just sitting and listening to what they're about." Jason replied, as Arnold raised an eyebrow.

"Isn't that what being a therapist is though? Sitting and listening?" he pointed out.

"A good bit of it yes. When we meet with patients however, we're able to help them work out their problems." Jason replied.

Nodding his head, Arnold followed Jason into the meeting room. Seeing everyone gather, Arnold wondered how different this would be from the seminars. He also wondered if he had to worry about being embarrassed if he was called on to answer something he wasn't prepared for.

"Alright everyone! I think we covered the main topics for this week. Are there any issues that need to be discussed?" The teacher asked, while Arnold watched Jason's hand fly in the air.

"Yes Jason." the teacher pointed.

"I feel we focused more on some topics than others this week. For instance anger and anxiety. Do you think that will be an issue when we begin our individual meetings with patients?" Jason asked, while Arnold thought about the point he had just made.

"We thought it would be best to review the traits you will be dealing with the most. Don't worry, you've still got plenty of knowledge of all of them."

While this was taking place, Helga was finishing up her day with Mark. "Well, see ya next week. I should have that info for ya!" she said, getting up from your desk.

"We can also begin research and analysis. After teaching it to you, I'm sure it will be useful to your case." Mark insisted.

"I'll make sure football head and I have everything we need for it come Monday." she assured him.

"Football head?" Mark asked, raising an eyebrow.

Helga began to blush, as she replied "Oh umm, it's kind of my nickname for Arnold. Has been ever since grade school." she gulped.

Smiling at her, he replied "I see. Does he have a nickname for you?"

Helga stopped to think for a moment. Aside from calling her sweetie occasionally, and joking about making ice cream one of their nicknames, he'd never given her one.

"Uhhh I guess not. Then again, I have liked him much longer than he has me." she said, while Mark placed a hand on her shoulder. "You don't know that for sure." winking at her.

Still blushing, Helga turned to head out the door. All the way home, she thought about the, not so sweet nicknames she had for Arnold. Not once had he come up with one for her however.

Meanwhile, the meeting was finishing up. "Well, I guess that's all we need to discuss. Next week you'll be starting your one on one counseling."

Both Jason and Arnold were excited to hear this, as the got up to exit the building. "So, what did you think of the meeting?" Arnold asked Jason.

"I liked the open discussion, but that's just the type of person I am. I love listening to people's problems, but I also like to share my opinion about them. Hopefully, next week will go well." Jason said anxiously.

"I'm sure we'll enjoy it. See you tomorrow. You remember where my grandparents' house is?" Arnold asked.

"Yeah, the boarding house. You can just text me when you're ready." he replied.

"Sounds great." without thinking, he held his thumb out to do the secret handshake he would have done with his best friend.

Jason stared at him, assuming he was just giving him a thumbs up. After turning away, Arnold thought to himself _Oh no, am I spending too much time with him? Am I not spending enough time with Gerald? Are Jason and I THAT close now?_

Arnold's mind stayed frazzled all the way to the apartment. He came home to find Helga sitting at the kitchen table, making a list.

While she was writing, a set of arms wrapped around her that made her break her pencil. "Sheesh! You're never going to learn to enter loud enough for me to hear are you?" she exclaimed.

"I swung open the door and slammed my notebook down on the table, I don't know how much louder you want me to be? Plus, it's not like you ever hear me when I DO call out your name" he countered.

"Pttss...whatever!" she scowled.

"So, what are you working on?" he asked, sitting down beside her.

"A grocery list. Figure if I'm going shopping with you, it won't hurt to already know what to get while we're there. We can race in, grab it and go!" she insisted.

"Or be like one of those couples who thinks they don't need a basket because they're only going in for one thing. Then end up walking to the register with half the store in their arms." Arnold laughed.

"Pttss...do that and the marriage is over bucko!" she scoffed.

"Whatever you say Helga." he shook his head, getting up to get a glass of water.

Glancing over at the list, he saw her writing things a bit out of their range.. Pot roast, lasagna, quesadillas. "Umm...you do realize we've only had one cooking lesson right?"

"What's your point?" she asked.

"My point is, unless you've given frozen dinners a second thought, you may want to redo that shopping list." he laughed.

"I thought you were bringing back your optimism, not your 'know it all' attitude!" she scowled.

"I don't think that's ever going anywhere." he laughed, finishing his water.

Pushing the list aside she sneered "Forget it. I'll just grab what I like at the store!"

"Sounds good to me." he replied, standing behind her to rub her shoulders.

Placing her head in her hands, with her elbows on the table, Arnold could since the tension dropping in her shoulders. "So, how was work?"

"Not bad. I told Mark about our plan to meet with everyone this weekend. He seemed to approve of it." she sighed.

"Well that's good." he replied, wrapping his arms around her neck.

"I guess so. How was your day?" she wondered.

"Jason seemed pretty excited about the staff meeting we were having today. I didn't really see what the big deal about it was though." Arnold said. Although he didn't want to sound judgemental, Helga had no problem doing it

"Pttss..please! That kid's like Lila. He'll get enthusiastic about anything!"

Tension then released from Arnold's body as he heard these words. It was nice to once again know he didn't have to worry about Helga having feelings for Jason.

After a moment of Arnold holding onto her, Helga finally asked "So, are you going to tell me what this fun activity is you have planned for us?"

"I thought we'd save it for after dinner. You'll need your energy. Just don't over eat." he said, winking at her.

Rolling her eyes, she replied "How am I supposed to know if I'm overeating if I don't know what I'm preparing myself for?"

"Good point. I'll cook you something, while you go watch TV." he insisted, seeing her shrug her shoulders.

"Eh, whatever floats your boat."

Arnold knew she didn't like TV dinners and had to be sick of easy mac. Going through the cabinets, he found some soup. _I don't know if she'll like this, but hopefully my activity will make up for it._

A moment later, Helga felt someone sitting beside her. Being handed a bowl of soup, she listened to him say "Careful, it's hot!"

"Soup? I'm not a sick patient in a hospital Arnoldo!" she scowled.

"It's full of vegetables. I think you'll thank me when dinner's over." he said, winking at her.

Rolling her eyes, blowing on her soup, she thought to herself _Crimity! This surprise of his better be worth it!_

After finishing dinner, Arnold took their bowls to the sink. Helga continued sitting on the couch, waiting for Arnold to bring over the instructions for some sad board game he had found at the boarding house.

Continuing to stare ahead, she noticed the TV being turned off. Turning around, she listened to Arnold ask "Are you ready?"

"I've only been ready since last night! Sheesh!" she scowled.

Rolling his eyes, he dragged her into the bedroom.

Walking in unamused, she asked "So sex is my big surprise?"

"Sort of." he said, watching her cock her brow.

As he anxiously got undressed, Helga went through the nightstand for the condoms. There she found a sheet of paper.

"Hey, what's this?" she wondered, looking at a list of familiar moves.

Attacks: Dropkick - Leg drop

Throws: Backbreaker - Brainbuster - Chokeslam - Cutter - DDT - Facebuster

Holds: Boston Crab - Nelson Hold - Pin - Sharp Shooter

Aerial - Moonsault

Double Team - Doomsday Device

Scratching his head, he replied "I decided to look up those moves after watching wrestling with you earlier this week. I know we won't be able to follow through as 'aggressively' on them as they do. I thought it might be fun to try them out while we, umm you know?" blushing harder than he could ever remember doing.

Helga grinned widely at the thought of doing this. While she adored his sensitive side, it was just as pleasing to know he could be as aggressive as her.

"So, you really think you could leg drop somebody football head?" she smirked, watching him stand in his boxers.

"All I have to do is jump on top of you." he smiled, pulling her top off.

"Uh huh? And what makes you think I would stay still long enough for you to do that to me?" she asked, cocking her brow.

Moving towards her, pushing her back against the bed, he said "I don't think it will be that hard."

"Oh please! You…" After being interrupted by his soft lips, she couldn't help but fantasize about his attempt to make such a well thought out gesture towards her…

 _Oh Arnold my love! So thoughtful! So caring! You alone know my desires, my interests, both aggressive and sensitive! The reasons behind them; the way they compare to me! Although you could never…_

Her eyes then met his eyes when she felt her wrists being tied together. A glare formed on her face almost as wide as the grin on his. "Well that was a cheap trick football head!" she scowled.

"Hey. I said whoever won last night got to be in charge tonight. Meaning you could have tied me up and 'put the moves' on me if you had won. Besides, you tied me up last time!" he pointed out, while she sat there rolling her eyes at him.

Pulling her down, he listened to her say "Fine, but if you break my back, you'll be the one getting sued!"

"Whatever you say Helga." he sighed, looking into her eyes. Running his fingers through her hair, he hovered over her, hesitating to start. Watching her cock her brow at him, she asked "You gonna start or what?"

"I...I...can't do it." he smiled at her with half lidded eyes.

Rolling her eyes, she replied "Of course not. Mr. Goody Two Shoes can't do anything aggressive!"

Continuing to smile at her, he said "You're not my opponent, so why would I want to?"

"So, does this mean you're going to untie me?" she asked hopefully.

Grinning widely, he replied "I think I'm being aggressive enough by asking, 'What do you think?'"

Watching her swoon deeply at him, he bent down to kiss her neck. Leaving a trail of kisses along the side until he could feel her trembling. He reached behind her back to do something until his eyes widened.

She cocked her brow at him, asking "What's wrong?"

Blushing badly, he said "I forgot to take your bra off before I tied you up."

A wide smile then formed on her face as she said, "Guess there's only one thing left to do!"

"Yeah, I guess so. How many of those things do you have?" he asked, while she looked at him suspiciously. "A few. Why?"

"No reason." he said, anxiously leaving the room

Helga laid there waiting for him to return, thinking to herself, _Unless he's okay with leaving it on, I don't know what he thinks he can do besides untie me?_

She then saw him returning with a pair of scissors, not caring about having her permission to do what he was about to do.

"What the…?! Don't even think about it!" she exclaimed, while he watched her eyes widen.

"Hey, do you want me to act bad or not?" he said, picking up the straps to cut them.

While she watched them come apart, she rolled her eyes. "I would consider that to be more childish!"

"Whatever you say Helga." he said, setting down the scissors on their nightstand. Turning his face back towards hers, he ran his fingers through her hair. Sitting beside her on the edge of the bed in his boxers.

Looking into her sapphire eyes he said, "I don't think it's fair that you still have your pants on. Let me fix that for you."

"Or that I'm tied up and you're not; or that I just had an article of clothing destroyed and you didn't.; or that I…"

She went on, but was ignored by his decision to return the favor on her aggressive lip wrestling move she had woken him up with that morning. Feeling him twist her lips with his own, while forcing his tongue inside of her, was as though he decided to have a wrestling match with their mouths instead.

While his nose was pressed firmly against hers, he could sense most of her heavy breathing by the way her chest moved quickly up and down. Moving his hands from her breasts to her waist, he pushed their private parts together.

After rubbing as hard as he could, he could feel the slow movement of her chest, and gave her the air she needed. Pulling back his face, he saw her quivering lips, and wide eyed expression that always seemed to be surprised, yet never disappointed, by this side of him.

Rubbing her face with his hand, he asked "Are you okay?"

All he received was a nod from her, but it was enough for him to keep going. Kissing her from her neck down to her underwear, he said "I don't think we'll be needing these."

Her heart began to pound, feeling him slowly pull them off her. She expected him to finish getting undressed next, so they could begin the frustrating yet still pleasurable part for the victim in this situation.

Instead of seeing him get up however, she felt a tingle go through her body. Sitting her head up, she saw him kissing her private area all around. Each one felt like his own version of a poetic expression of his love for her.

When she finally saw him get up to take his boxers off, he placed the condom on himself. Rather than being anxious, she laid there feeling at peace from the wonderful moments she had just shared with him.

When she saw him bending down, she closed her eyes, expecting him to kiss her. Instead, she opened them to feel herself being untied. "You're letting me go?"

Sending a weak smile her way, he said "Yeah, this next part's more fun with TWO aggressive people."

"So you destroyed my bra for nothing?" she scowled, seeing him blush.

Softening her glare after not receiving a response, she added "You do realize it will still be one aggressive person, seeing as how you're not aggressive, football head."

Rolling his eyes, he replied "Whatever you say Helga."

Bending down to kiss her, he felt her arms being thrown around his neck. Pulling his face in tighter, he thought to himself _Maybe I made a mistake letting her go?_

Her aggressiveness began to loosen when she felt him massaging her breasts. Feeling him rub her nipples made her tongue go from firmly wrapped around his to lightly resting on it. Her arms dropped from his neck to his shoulders, reminding him of San Lorenzo. Knowing they were laying on a bed this time kept him from having to worry about anyone who passed out from pleasure getting hurt.

She let out a deep sigh through her nose that implied there was nothing more he could do to make her happy, until her eyes immediately flew open. With no warning, he stuck his member as far inside her as possible. Beginning to rub her, he sat up looking at her unprepared face. Rubbing her harder, he didn't since the same firey anticipation he normally did from her.

Slowing down, as he began to pant heavily, he asked "Is something wrong?"

Cocking her brow, she replied "No, why?"

"I'm giving you a chance to be aggressive and you're not taking it." he smiled.

"I liked letting you do those sweet things to me. You're the only one caring enough to look past my aggressive side." she said, smiling at him.

"So, you make fun of me for not being aggressive, then compliment me for being sensitive?" he asked questionably, laying down beside her.

"Pretty much." she grinned widely.

"Whatever you say Helga." he said, kissing her on the cheek.

Laying there in his arms, feeling him stroke her hair. She asked "Hey Arnold?"

"Hmm?" he asked quietly, ready to pass out.

"Do you have a nickname for me?" she wondered, almost regretting asking.

His eyes slowly opened, wondering where that came from. "Uhh, I don't think so. Then again, I never thought about it. Why? Did you want one?"

Turning to face him, she explained "When my tongue slipped at work today and called you football head in front of Mark, I explained to him that was just a nickname I'd had for you since grade school." she began, watching him smile at her.

"Then he said you must have one for me, even if I didn't know about it."

Arnold gave a puzzled look, as if he was examining her. "Hmmm...well football head is pretty special. I mean, it must have taken quite a bit of effort to come up with that." he said wittingly, as she rolled her eyes.

"Oh zip it Arnoldo!"

"Haha...I'll think of something just as special for you." he winked, kissing her softly on the lips.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Saturday morning came, a bittersweet day for Arnold and Helga. It was the beginning of the weekend, however there would still be work involved.

Arnold rolled over to see his wife resting peacefully. Rubbing her shoulder, he saw her eyes begin to slowly open. A smile formed of his face, as he listened to the soft sigh release from her body. "Morning sweetie."

Letting out a yawn, she replied "Morning football head."

"How about I make 'Blunt' your nickname, since you don't hold back on the truth." he laughed.

"Oh shut up. So, when are we meeting everyone for lunch?" she asked, heading for the bathroom.

"At noon. It's already past nine, so maybe we should take a cab over there." Arnold suggested, while Helga stood by the sink to brush her teeth.

"Eh, whatever works for you." she said, shrugging her shoulders.

Arnold then went to grab his phone, seeing he had a text from Jason. After brushing her teeth, Helga walked into the living room to ask "Whatcha staring at football head?"

Scratching his head, Arnold replied "Uhh Jason wanted to make sure my grandparents would have everything we needed to make the next thing on our cooking list tonight, which is roasted chicken."

Placing her hands on her hips, Helga scoffed "Pttss...I don't see why they wouldn't. The only recipe I ever saw that family of yours repeat was pancakes!"

"Yeah, but I guess it wouldn't hurt to check." Arnold said, making the call to his grandparents house.

Helga stood in the kitchen, grabbing herself some microwave pancakes, agitated they were still out of milk.

Ring...Ring...Ring…

"Hello?"

"Grandpa."

"Hey shortman!"

"Hey, I was just wondering if you had all the ingredients to make roasted chicken?"

"That's an odd breakfast? Then again, your grandma's an odd person."

"No, I meant for when Helga and I have our cooking lesson with Jason there tonight!"

"Oh! Well, I'll have to keep that Kakashka character away from most of them, but I'm sure we've got everything."

"Thanks grandpa. See you tonight!"

"See ya shortman!"

Walking into the kitchen, Arnold sat down with Helga to see her in her pink tank top and blue jeans, scarfing down her pancakes.

"How about I call you scarfer? I don't think you'll ever learn to eat slowly." he laughed, while she glared at him, taking the last bite of her breakfast.

After taking her plate to the sink, she turned to look at him still sitting there in his boxers. "You're not dressed yet? What happened to the, 'It's already passed nine! We should take a cab?'"

Rolling his eyes, he replied "I just meant we wouldn't make it there if we walked. I've got plenty of time to get dressed."

Sitting on his lap, with one arm around his neck, she said "So, you're just going to sit around like this until the last minute?"

"If you don't get off of me, I guess I have no choice?" he replied wittingly.

Reaching down into his boxers with her other hand, she whispered "I guess not."

His eyes began to widen while he felt her playing with his parts. Going from rubbing his member back and forth to massaging his scrotum, she watched his face fall the way hers had the night before.

Moving closer towards his face, with her lips pressed against his, she whispered "How about The Seducer?"

Trying to stay focused, he said "I don't think we could use that in public."

Taking her hand back to step off him, she smirked "Must you ruin everything with your know it all attitude?!"

"Whatever you say Helga." he sighed, getting up to get dressed.

After putting on his green sweater and jeans, he said to Helga "I guess I'll call the cab now."

"Okay? Why are you acting like you need my permission?" she cocked her brow, sitting at the table.

Rolling his eyes, he grabbed the phone thinking _Maybe smartass could be her nickname_

After a few minutes of waiting, they went outside to meet their ride. While waiting for the ride, Helga asked "So, are you going to order a hot sauce pizza, or are you going to wimp out like last night?"

Raising an eyebrow, he asked "What are you talking about? We didn't have pizza last night?"

Rolling her eyes at his density, she scowled "Not that, dingus! I'm talking about when you had the opportunity to take advantage of me with your 'special moves.' My bra ended up taking more of a beating than I did!"

Taking her hand in his to rub it, he replied "Even if we were just playing, I could never be anything but gentle with someone so sweet."

Turning her face away to hide her rose colored cheeks, she said "Look, the cab's here!"

"How about I call you the drifter? I know how anxious you are to change subjects when talking about your sensitive side." Arnold laughed, as the cab pulled up to the curb.

"Oh shut up! I'm sorry I ever said anything last night." she scowled, stepping into the car with him.

Looking up at the driver, Arnold said "We need to go to Antonio's Pizza please."

While waiting for them to arrive, Arnold noticed Helga staring out the window with an annoyed look on her face. _I wonder if I took things too far?_

Taking her hand in his, he asked "Are you upset with me? I was just joking around."

Rolling her eyes at his concern, she replied "No. It's not like what you said isn't true anyway."

Full of guilt, he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close. "How about Ribbon?" he laughed, rubbing her thigh.

"How about I punch your face in?" she threatened, as they were pulling up at the restaurant.

"Whatever you say Helga." he sighed, unbuckling himself.

The two left the cab to see their friends already waiting for them. Just like their last meeting with the whole group there, they were the last two to arrive.

"Hey Arnold! How's it going man?" Gerald asked, seeing the ring on Helga's finger.

"Hey Gerald. Thanks for coming." he said, stepping out of the cab behind his wife.

"Now what exactly are we doing here?" Sid asked, while everyone else nodded their head agreeing with his question.

"Arnold and Helga I'm afraid have a bit of a predicament involving Matt." Phoebe began.

"Matt? The boy you so had the hots for last year Helga?!" Rhonda asked, while Helga began to clench her fists.

Before she could express her rage, Harold butted in. "Is this something we could talk about inside? I'm so hungry!"

"Come on you guys. Let's go grab a table and talk about it in there." Arnold suggested, hoping Rhonda wouldn't say anything else to upset Helga.

The gang walked in to see the same table they had been seated at during their last visit was being cleared. "Hi, we need a table for ten people please." Arnold asked the hostess.

"Right this way!" she pointed, bringing a stack of menus to the table with her.

"Here you all are. Your server will be with you shortly!" she said, passing out the menus. Food was the last thing on Arnold and Helga's minds at the moment however.

"I wreckin' I'll have some of that spicy pizza I had last time. I'll be needin' an extra yahoo to go with it though!" Stinky said, looking over the menu.

"Boy howdy! That was some hot sauce that came with that pizza!" Sid exclaimed.

The waitress then appeared at their table, taking their drink order. "What can I get you all to drink?"

"We'll all just have a yahoo soda." Arnold said before being interrupted. "Make it two for me!" Stinky insisted.

"I'll have that right out for you!" the waitress replied." While everyone then looked over at the married couple.

"So Arnold, what is it you and Helga needed to talk to everyone about?" Nadine asked.

Scratching his head, he replied "Well, like Phoebe said, Helga and I maybe in trouble with Matt."

"Maybe? As in, this meeting could just be pointless?" Rhonda asked, while Helga crossed her arms.

"What kind of trouble are you in, Arnold?" Sheena wondered.

Looking down at his crossed arms on the table, he began "I don't know how many of you know about the fight Helga and I had with Matt last year?"

"Fight? That sounds oh so terrible!" Lila exclaimed.

"I know she had his tongue down her throat in the hallway after turning down an exclusive date with him." Rhonda replied, while Helga began gritting her teeth.

"You mean someone actually hit on you Helga?!" Sid asked in disbelief, while she began to roll her eyes.

"That's actually not what we're referring to." Arnold replied.

"What could it be then?" Nadine insisted on knowing.

While Helga leaned back in her seat with her arms crossed appearing annoyed, Arnold leaned forward, nervous about their friends' responses to what he was about to say.

"Do any of you remember seeing Helga being approached by Matt OUTSIDE of the school last year?" he began, waiting for a response.

"Not that I can recall. What exactly...OW...I'm okay! Eugene said, falling out of his seat.

While Helga smacked her face with her hand, Arnold continued to explain.

"When I saw she wasn't able to def…" he began, before seeing the offended look on her face.

"I mean, when Matt wouldn't leave her alone, I threatened to go to the principal." he continued, while the kids listened attentively.

"Oh my. That sounds ever so serious!" Lila exclaimed.

"Well, he didn't take my threat too seriously." Arnold admitted.

"What in the heck happened then?" Stinky asked, scratching his head.

Arnold sighed, not wanting to reveal the next bit of information. He didn't know how mature his friends would be about it. It was the whole reason he and Helga needed their help however.

"Helga punched him after he made fun of the fact that I'm not exactly the tallest guy in school."

"Boy howdy! Talk about having a bodyguard!" Sid exclaimed, while Arnold began to blush.

"Helga, you were finally showing your feminine side. You had a cute guy looking at you. Then threw it all away just to win a fight. Unbelievable!" Rhonda glared, crossing her arms.

Slamming the table, Helga scowled "Look Princess! Arnold's the only guy I needed looking at me! Now did you see anything or not?!"

"Now that you mention it, I do remember seeing a crowd of people gathering around a student that day. I decided to stick around to see what new bugs I could find for my Physics project." Nadine said, holding her chin.

Arnold's eyes lit up at the idea of any of them remembering anything. "Did anyone else see anything?"

"Well, after Helga completely blew off me taking notice of her recent efforts to be more feminine, I heard someone complaining about being touched. I just assumed someone unsanitary was approaching them." Rhonda explained while Helga shook her head.

Raising his eyebrow, Gerald asked "So, you heard the fight then?"

"I heard someone shouting to be let go. On my way towards the sidewalk, I saw an ambulance parked. I just assumed Eugene had tripped over something." Rhonda explained, while a smile grew on Eugene's face.

"Gosh Rhonda! Thanks for thinking of me!" he exclaimed, while Helga planted her face in her hand.

"It sounds as though no one was an actual eye witness." Phoebe said regretfully.

"What about you Harold?" Arnold asked, not giving up hope.

Pouting at the idea of the waitress not returning, Harold replied "Yeah, I was outside that day! So, what? Where's our pizza?!"

"We haven't even ordered yet Harold." Sid pointed out, watching Harold leaned back in his seat.

"Aww gee!"

"Oh put a sock in it ya big wuss! Did ya see something or not?!" Helga exclaimed, leaning forward in her seat. Just as he was about to answer, the waitress came back with the drinks.

"Here are your sodas! Does everyone know what they want to eat?" she asked, looking around the table.

"We'll take three of your extra large jalapeno pizzas with hot sauce for the table to split." Arnold answered, while everyone passed their menus towards the waitress.

"I'll have them right out for you!" she assured him, walking away.

While Harold kept his eyes on her heading away from the table, he heard "So Harold, you said you saw something that day?!" Arnold asked eagerly.

"My bag was extra heavy that day because I had homework in every class." he began, while Helga leaned back with her arms crossed.

"When I set it down in front of the school, I decided to see if there was anything to eat in there."

"What'd you find? Edible paper?" Helga scoffed, watching Harold glare at her. "No! A Mr. Fudgey bar!"

"What in the heck's a candy bar got to do with the fight?" Stinky asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"I don't think he's done yet Stinky." Sid pointed out.

"Anyway, when I was sitting on my backpack eating my candybar, I saw what looked like Helga doing some weird dance with the guy who got punched." Harold explained, while Helga blushed profusely.

"You dance Helga? Gosh! That sounds like fun!" Eugene exclaimed, while Arnold noticed her beginning to clench her fists.

"Uhh that's not exactly what was going on. What else did you see Harold?" Arnold asked, trying to move it along.

"Well, after I finished my candy bar, I started going through my backpack again." he informed them, as Helga rolled her eyes.

"Pttss...big shocker!"

"So, you didn't see anything else?" Arnold asked, with a disappointed look forming across his face.

Harold put a hand to his head trying to get his facts straight. "After I found what looked like part of a cookie at the bottom of my bag, I turned and saw you with her, Arnold. Only instead of dancing with the guy, she was pointing and yelling at him on the ground."

Not being able to take his ignorance anymore, Rhonda said "Harold, they were not dancing! She was being felt up!"

Helga's eyes widened at the information that had just been bluntly revealed. Arnold began rubbing her shoulder, knowing it couldn't be easy for her. Although she was tough on the outside, revealing information such as this didn't make keeping up her tough girl act the easiest thing in the world.

"That seems just ever so terrible Helga! Are you alright?" Lila asked, seeing the concerned look on her aggressive friend's face.

"Matt's the one who got punched! I think he's the one you should be asking that." Sid insisted, While Helga lowered her head.

Seeing the guilty look on her face, Arnold added "Helga did what she had to do, which is why we needed someone else who could say they saw the fight. Harold, now that we know you saw her being touched against her will, we may need you to back us up if he tries to press charges against us."

"Aww Gee! It's summer vacation! I shouldn't have to work!" Harold exclaimed.

Rolling his eyes, Gerald replied "Come on Harold! No one's asking you to work."

Glaring at Gerald, he replied "Oh yeah? What am I supposed to do then?!"

"We just need you to answer a few questions about what you saw happening to Helga if Matt presses charges." Arnold explained.

"Fine! There better be food there though!" he threatened, while the rest of the table rolled their eyes.

"Do they serve food in court?" Sid asked.

"Oh please! The only thing being served there will be Helga when Matt finishes what Arnold interrupted." Rhonda smirked, while Helga clenched her fists.

Just as she was about to start her own fist fight with Rhonda, the food arrived at their table. "Here you all are! Enjoy!" the waitress said.

Arnold handed Helga a slice of the pizza, hoping to take her mind off the rude remarks Rhonda managed to slip in about their unfortunate situation.

As he was about to place his hand on Helga's they heard an annoying yet familiar voice "Oh goody! They're ready!"

Helga sighed, already knowing who it was, while Arnold looked over to see Olga at the counter picking up some pizzas for the family. Seeing the stress Helga was already under, Arnold decided not to wave Olga over. His decision turned out to be pointless however, when he heard…

"Olga! Over here!" Rhonda shouted, waving her in their direction.

"Oh baby sister! How are you and your friends doing?" Olga asked, carrying a few pizzas for the family.

"We're just peachy." Helga sighed, rolling her eyes with her arms crossed.

"I must say Olga, you did a fabulous job with Helga's appearance at the wedding! It's too bad she doesn't have you to go to every day." Rhonda said, not caring how badly she upset Helga.

Arnold could sense the tension forming in Helga's shoulders however, while she did everything she could not to scowl back.

"I'm so happy you liked it! Baby sister, you have to come over for dinner tomorrow! We're celebrating how well this past year my job teaching at P.S. 118 has gone!" Olga exclaimed while Helga sat there thinking to herself _shouldn't you wait until September...when it's been a full year?!_

Forgetting her sister didn't know anything about sarcasm, Helga began "Gee Olga, that sounds super…"

"Great! See you tomorrow night!" Olga exclaimed, while Arnold watched Helga throw her hands into her face.

"You really want to have dinner with her?" he asked, wrapping his arm around her.

"What do you think football head? It's not my fault she can't catch a clue!" Helga exclaimed.

"Maybe that'll teach you to take that attitude of yours down a notch." Gerald couldn't help but point out, while Helga sent a glare in his direction.

"You looking for another bet, President Pizza?!" she scowled.

"Man! What's it gonna take for you to drop that? And I believe I won our last bet...Martha Stewart!" Gerald countered, holding a slice of pizza.

"What in the heck are they talkin' about?" Stinky asked, while the rest of the table shrugged their shoulders.

"Gerald bet Helga if she ended up liking the Pop Daddy movie, she would have to bake him some brownies." Arnold explained, smiling at her. Both he and Helga knew the real reason she ended up being the one to make the dessert that night.

"I'm sorry, but I can't see Helga baking. I mean no offense, but it just seems like such a 'girly' thing to do." Sid said, hoping not to upset Helga.

"Yeah, well. Unless football head and I plan on blowing our money on take out every night, I don't really have a choice!" Helga scowled.

"Why not take cooking lessons from Olga, Helga? It sounds just oh too perfect." Lila suggested, paying no attention to the disgusted look on Helga's face.

While Arnold took notice of it, he explained "We're actually already taking lessons from someone."

"Cooking? Wow! That sounds...OWW! I'm okay…" Eugene said, burning himself with the pizza.

Rolling her eyes at his clumsiness, Helga replied wittingly "Yeah, it's the highlight of our week."

Rubbing her hand, Arnold gazed into her eyes, as he said "I know it is mine."

Gerald could see the familiar spark forming in his friends' eyes. The one he saw every day in the cafeteria their last year of high school. "If you guys are all finished, I'll wave for the check."

Arnold turned away from Helga to reply "Uh yeah, I guess we are. Thanks again for coming everyone. We'll be in touch Harold."

"Fine! Stupid court thingy!" Harold mumbled, as he headed out the door of the restaurant.

Phoebe stood by Gerald, watching their friends leave the restaurant. "You seemed a bit anxious to get going. Is everything okay?"

"Did you not see that lovesick cafeteria look they were giving each other? I don't know about you, but I was not in the mood for it!" he informed her, while she tried holding back her laugh.

After all their friends had left Antonio's, Helga turned to Arnold and said "Now what football head?"

Scratching his head, he replied "It's seems a little early in the afternoon to call Jason."

"Not to mention we just ate lunch. I'm not looking to start dinner already." Helga scoffed.

"So did you want to…" before Arnold could finish his sentence, he felt a tap on his shoulder. Both he and Helga turned around to see an unwanted face.

"Amanda?! What are you doing here?" Arnold asked worriedly, while Helga remembered being warned by Phoebe she had been seen recently.

"How have you been doing Arnold?" Amanda asked, ignoring his question.

"Uhh fine I guess. You?" he said, beginning to tremble.

"I'm doing just oh so well." she replied, while Helga began to grow annoyed.

"Yeah, yeah. This is getting old. What do you want?"

"I saw Matt is back in town and anxious to find you Helga." Amanda smiled, while watching Helga's eyes widen.

"What for?" she asked, trying to remain calm.

"He's just ever so sorry about what happened, and wants to make it up to you?" Amanda explained, while Helga cocked her brow.

"What do you mean 'make it up to me?' How would you even know? You two aren't dating?"

Arnold gripped Helga's hand tightly while listening to Amanda explain "I heard him say at the arcade he feels just oh so terrible for his actions."

"So, he's not going to sue me?" Helga cocked her brow, while Arnold's grip on her remained tight.

"I suppose you'll just have to talk to him and see. Bye Arnold!" Amanda said, sending a sweet smile his way.

While Arnold paid no attention to Amanda's flirting behavior towards him, Helga stood there wondering is Amanda had some sort of deal worked out with Matt. Why else would she care what he may be planning to do to them?

Snapping out of it, Arnold said "Well, I guess we can get going."

Sighing at everything they had to deal with, Helga replied "Yeah, let's get a move on."

The two of them made it back to the apartment, no longer feeling in the mood for a fun activity. After walking inside, Helga set down her purse, and noticed Arnold still hadn't let go of her hand. Cocking her brow at him, she said "You do realize we're INSIDE the apartment now? There's no need to show off the…" she began before being cut off by his soft wet lips.

Before having a chance to think about it, she felt him picking her up to carry to the bedroom. Laying on top of her, with one hand behind her head and the other not having left her hand, Arnold thought to himself _What if Matt goes after Helga rather than suing her! What if he tries putting his hands on her again? What if…_

While Arnold was contemplating this, he felt Helga struggling to say something. Releasing her tongue he asked "What's wrong?"

Cocking her brow at him, she asked "Shouldn't it be me asking you that?"

Rolling his eyes, he replied "Helga, those two could be planning something! Rather than suing us, Matt could just use this as an opportunity to make you go out with him and me go out with Amanda."

"I don't think Mr. Popular will date the girl who punched his lights out!" Helga scoffed.

"This isn't high school Helga. If he tries making you go out with him, it's not to win someone else's opinion, it's because he really does like you!" Arnold said, squeezing her hand tighter.

"Okay, so what more can we do? We've got our eye (or should I say) pig witness, if he does try to sue us. If not, all we have to do is tell him to get bent when they ask us out." she assured him.

Pressing their noses together, he whispered "Hurry up and become president please."

Rolling her eyes, she replied "I'm working on it...sheesh!"

A few hours later, after having fallen asleep together, Arnold turned to see they only had half an hour before their cooking lesson with Jason.

"Helga. Helga, we have to meet Jason at the boarding house!" Arnold shook her, not having the easiest time waking her.

Stretching her arms, she said "Can't we just eat over there from now on? Why do we have to learn how to cook?"

"You're the one who said we can't waste money on take-out." he reminded her, watching her roll her eyes at him.

"Fine! Stupid football head!"

The two then went over to the boarding house to see Jason was just arriving. "Hey Jason!" Arnold said, while Helga cocked her brow at him. _What's he so excited about?_

"Hey Arnold! I hope you two are ready for a fun lesson. It'll be nice having you join us this time Helga." he said, watching her barely nod her head.

The three then walked up the porch steps, as Jason was reminded to stand out of the way of the stream of pets. "I can't believe all these animals live here!" Jason exclaimed as Helga rolled her eyes "Try living with them yourself!"

The three of them walked inside to see Phil sitting in the kitchen, reading his newspaper.

"Hey shortman! Shortman's girlfriend! And uhh...what was your name again kid?" Phil asked, setting his paper aside.

Helga rolled her eyes at the idea of Phil being at their wedding, yet still referring to her as Arnold's girlfriend.

"This is Jason grandpa. He's going to give us our cooking lesson now." Arnold reminded him.

"Sounds like fun! I kept that Kakoshka character away from your ingredients long as I could. I spent most of the afternoon in my office though. Never eat raspberries kid!" Phil said, pointing to Jason on his way out of the kitchen.

Jason looked at Arnold confused. "What kind of work was he doing in his office that involved raspberries?"

Arnold began to blush, scratching his head, while Helga just rolled her eyes. "Uhh don't worry about it. Let's get started!"

"Okay! I asked Mark if he wanted to join us, but he wanted to catch up on some things he missed at work." Jason explained, while Helga cocked her brow.

"What did he miss."

"Well, he has some other cases to go over. He's been trying to give most of his attention to yours however. Not to mention teaching you the basics of what Mayor Dixie says you'll need to need about the way things work around there." Jason explained, while Arnold watched Helga lower her head with guilt.

Trying to help her out, Arnold replied "We found a witness to help us out, so hopefully we won't have anything to worry about." While it was true having this was a step in the right direction for them, Arnold was still nervous about Amanda stepping into the picture. He wasn't going to once again reveal his opinion about that in front of Jason however.

Reviewing the recipe, Jason said "Okay, we basically just need chicken, salt, pepper, onion powder, and a pan to place the chicken in."

While Arnold began searching the cabinets for the ingredients, Helga said "I guess we should have grabbed one of those fancy pans we got for the wedding."

"How long ago were you married?" Jason wandered

While Helga tilted her head back to think, Arnold immediately answered "Three weeks! It's gone by so fast! After we got married, it only took a week to find an apartment her dad paid for for us to move into. We've lived in it for the past two weeks now."

While Helga smiled at Arnold's enthusiasm, he began to continue "We lived together he for a few months before that though."

Helga began to grow tense at the thought of Arnold revealing too much personal information.

While Jason showed them the temperature to preheat the oven, and how long to wait before throwing in the chicken, he asked "Did she move in after you proposed?"

Helga's eyes widened at the question, not wanting his to know about her family troubles.

"A little before then. Sometimes I think we never would have been close enough to have gotten married though if she hadn't. We learned so much about each other!" Arnold replied, beginning to smile, while Helga sat on top of the table, with her legs hanging over. Clenching it tight with every new bit of information that was revealed.

"So, where did you propose?" Jason asked, while Arnold watched him season the chicken.

Arnold stopped to think for a moment about that question. Despite how happy he was about sharing their happy story, he knew how personal that information was to Helga. Looking over at her, he saw the pleading look in her eyes along with the heavy breaths she was taking.

"Uhh here at home. We were just spending time with the family. I thought it would be a sweet place to do it." he said, while seeing some of the tension release from Helga's shoulders.

Jason smiled, knowing Arnold was right about how special time spent with your family can be. Especially after the amount of time they had spent in their psychology classes.

"We, we can throw this in for an hour and fifteen minutes at 180 F." he finished explaining to them.

"That was easy!" Arnold smiled, while the two of them turned around to see Helga playing with her ring. Jason couldn't help but continue to pry, when he saw her holding it."

"So, where did you get your ring from?" he asked.

Both Helga and Arnold paused a moment. Neither of them was sure of where to start or how much information to give away without offending the other. "Uhh it's kind of a long story." Arnold said."

"Well, I've got over an hour to listen to it." Jason laughed while Helga rolled her eyes and thought to herself _I can't believe how nosey this guy is!_

The guys sat down at the table while Helga continued to sit on top, swinging her legs and holding her ring.

"Well, I didn't exactly have the money to buy her something special back then." Arnold began.

"I understand. People our age don't normally have that kind of money." Jason nodded, while Helga rolled her eyes.

"Anyway, I had a plan to borrow some money from…" Arnold wondered how upset Helga would be if he brought her family into the picture. Looking into her desperate eyes, he changed it up a bit.

"A friend. A friend wrote me a check for the ring." he continued, while being interrupted.

"That was nice of him!" Jason exclaimed.

Helga hoped Arnold would just stop there. She knew his honest self would force him to keep going however.

"Yeah, well he did it because I said I would work for him. When I saw he didn't need me anymore though, he told me I had to give the ring back." Arnold sighed, thinking back to that day.

"Doesn't sound like a very good friend." Jason corrected him, while Helga thought to herself _You got that right!_

"What's worse is I lost the ring! A girl from our school found it and wouldn't give it back unless I went on a date with her." Arnold explained, while both Jason's and Helga's eyes widened. Jason at the excitement from the story; Helga not believing how far he was taking it.

"What did you decide to do?" Jason had to ask, while Helga began to shake.

"The girl actually ended up trying to make me look bad by deciding to give the ring back to me in front of Helga. I guess she was hoping to split us up, and force me to go out with her." Arnold explained, while Helga began clenching her fists.

 _Crimity! How far is he going to take this?!_

"I'm guessing it couldn't have made her too mad considering you two ended up together." Jason said, smiling at Helga.

Arnold picked up her hand with the ring, reminding him it wasn't real when he proposed. "Well, funny thing about that." he began, ignoring her loud gulp.

"She already knew about my plans." Arnold went on, seeing Jason raise an eyebrow.

"She did?"

"When I couldn't give her the real ring the night I proposed, she was ready to give me a plastic one from the claw machine at the arcade." Arnold couldn't help but laugh, while Jason stopped to think a moment.

"That's sweet. Come to think of it, I remember being at the arcade and seeing a girl anxious to win a ring out of their with an Asian girl. She wouldn't stop yelling at the guy playing Runaway Bus Driver. I think he was making her lose her focus." Jason laughed, until turning to take another look at Helga.

"That sounds like our friends Phoebe and Gerald." Arnold insisted, while Helga calmed down to roll her eyes at the thought of Gerald playing that game.

Her thoughts were then interrupted by, "Wait, was that you Helga?!"

She quickly whipped her head around to ask "Huh? What are you talking about?"

"That night at the arcade. I was standing with you and, I guess Phoebe." Jason said, trying to get her name straight.

Arnold immediately looked over at Helga, while Helga turned her head, thinking back to that night _Blonde hair, green eyes… same as the boy from the homeless shelter...oh crimity!_

"Uh yeah, I guess it was." she blushed, while Arnold looked back and forth between the two of them. He saw the smile forming on Jason's face and a shy look on Helga's. His grip on her hand tightened until they heard the timer go off on the oven.

"Sounds like the chicken is done!" Jason got up to grab it, while Arnold noticed Helga's eyes hadn't left Jason.

"Would you like to call your family to come eat Arnold?" Jason asked.

"Uhhh sure." he replied. He no longer had any appetite, but didn't want to make Helga miss out on dinner.

While Arnold anxiously raced to find his grandpa, Helga sat nervously at the table. "So, that was a pretty special story Arnold shared about the two of you." Jason said, trying to break the silence.

Not being able to let go of her ring again, she replied "Uhh yeah, I guess it was."

Jason came over to set the food on the table, signalling Helga to get off. "I always hoped to find someone like that to make me happy one day. Arnold's a very lucky guy!" he assured her, placing his hand on her shoulder. Helga began to smile at the thought of how happy Arnold made her.

Arnold walked in at that moment to see Helga smiling with Jason's hand on her shoulder. His eyes lit with fear, while Phil was following behind him.

"Is that whole thing for me?!" Phil asked, seeing Helga roll her eyes.

"Pttss...you wish." she scoffed, back to her old self.

"Is there no one else joining us?" Jason wondered.

"Pookey's chasing that fly again, oh excuse me, 'tiger'! Your parents ate earlier. Then again so did I, but that won't stop me from eating again!" Phil exclaimed.

Jason began to fill everyone's plates, while Arnold moved his chair as close to Helga as possible.

"Sheesh football head, don't crowd me!" she exclaimed.

"Get enough of that in bed huh?" Phil winked, while Arnold's face turned bright red. "Grandpa!"

After everyone had eaten, Jason helped Arnold clear the plates from the table. Helga was more than anxious to leave, while Phil could have cared less about the mess that was made.

"Well, thanks for the cooking lesson. I guess I'll see you Monday!" Arnold said, leaving the boarding house with him and Helga.

"See you then!" Jason said, walking towards his place.

While Helga was no longer blushing or carrying a half lidded gaze, Arnold noticed how quiet she was being. "I'm sorry if I revealed too much information about us Helga. I wasn't thinking."

Trying to take her hand, Helga used it to rub her neck with. "It's okay I guess. You know how personal I find that topic to be though. I've learned to open up a lot this past year, but I don't want the world knowing that's where I blabbed my feelings to you for the first time. I mean crimity football head! I poured my heart out to you like I thought I only had an hour left to live! It's okay that people know we love each other now, but they don't need to know every detail of how it happened."

Knowing she was right, he hugged her tight and said "You're right. I'm really sorry, Helga! That's why you're in charge of the relationship." he winked, while watching her roll her eyes at him.

"Oh shut it football head!" she scowled, letting him take her hand.

Making it back to the apartment, Helga said "Unless you've got another special activity from this week you're too chicken to follow through on, I'm going to lay down."

Rolling his eyes, he replied, "When you say chicken, are you referring to wrestling or dinner?"

"Leave the sarcasm to me bucko!" she scowled, heading for the bedroom.

Plopping down on the bed, with her arms spread across, he laid down beside her "You knew that part of you would rub off on me eventually." he winked.

"I guess so. You'll never be as good as me though." she warned him, rubbing her face with her engaged hand.

Watching her do this, he glanced over at her ring. "I'm sorry for scaring you. If it makes you feel any better, you really scared me."

"What are you talking about?" she asked, cocking her brow.

"When Jason said the two of you were at the arcade together, I could see the look the two of you were giving each other." he hated admitting to her.

Watching her roll her eyes, she replied "Arnold, I'm always going to feel uncomfortable if a guy likes me. It's just who I am. That's why it was so hard to open up to you, and a lot of the time still is. That doesn't mean I like him back."

"I know, I'm sorry." he sighed, pressing his lips against her softly. Feeling her wrap her arms around his neck, he pulled her face close to suck her tongue tightly. Lifting his hands under her shirt, sliding them slowly up her waist, she began to moan.

While he was approaching her breasts, he pulled away from her lips, seeing a disgruntled look on her face. "Why'd you stop football head?"

Grinning widely, he said "Why don't we make Mona your nickname? You really seem to enjoy this."

Glaring at him, she smirked "I thought we were searching for one we could use in public."

"No one would know WHY I was calling you that though." he laughed.

"Pttss...whatever! Let's just get some sleep." she scoffed, as he gave her one more lingering kiss. "Good night sweetie. Sweet dreams."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: I Won't Take No For An Answer

It was Sunday morning, and Helga wasn't too happy knowing how the day would be ending. _Crimity! I don't want to have dinner with my family tonight!_

She then felt a warm arm wrap around her, pulling her close. "Morning sweetie, how'd you sleep?" Arnold asked.

Turning to face him, she replied "Uhh okay I guess. No bizarre amnesia dreams."

Smiling at her wittiness, he began to rub her face. "Good. I never took a shower last night. Would you like to take one with me? Then we can go to the grocery store."

Shrugging her shoulders, she replied "Alright. I guess the shower will make up for the shopping...despite the order we'll be doing them in."

Helga got up to head for the bathroom while Arnold went to grab some towels. _I wonder what her sister has planned for dinner tonight?_ He thought to himself

Making it back to the bathroom, he saw Helga had already jumped in and gotten started washing her hair. After getting undressed, he stepped in with her and said "So, you didn't want to wait for me to 'assist' you with anything?"

Rolling her eyes, she replied "Helga G. Pataki doesn't need assistance with anything."

Moving closer, pulling her close while she scrubbed her hair under the warm water, he said "No, but Helga G. Shortman seems to. Like with cooking, shopping, picking out a nickname…" he went on until hearing her say

"Oh zip it Arnoldo!" she scowled.

She dropped her arms, and closed her eyes to let the hot water rinse the soap from her hair. While doing so, she felt his soft lips press against hers. Even under the warm water, his touch managed to send chills through her body. While she stood there with her eyes closed, never picturing him moving away, he reached over for the soap.

A moment later she felt his hands moving across her chest as well as the rest of her body with the smooth bar. Creating bubbles across her body, he whispered "What about Suds?"

Finally opening her eyes to cock her brow, she asked "What?"

"We could make your nickname Suds." he laughed, watching her roll her eyes at him.

"Oh shut up!" she scowled, mentally thanking him for ruining the moment.

Standing under the water to rinse herself, her anger didn't stop him from continuing to smile at her.

"Guess we can switch sides now." she said, not feeling as turned on as before.

Arnold stood under the hot water, scrubbing his hair with the shampoo. Not taking his eyes off his wife, she glared and said "Unless you want 'blind bat' to be YOUR nickname, I'd recommend closing your eyes while doing that...like most smart people."

Although he could sense the shampoo falling near his eyes, he replied "That would mean taking my eyes off you though."

The romance of the feeling that had been ruined before had returned as she felt her heart begin to flutter. Moving closer to her, he handed her the soap, saying "I may not be able to help shutting my eyes for this part."

A wide grin formed on her face, while she ran it up and down his body. Filling her hands with bubbles, she ran them across his member. While massaging his scrotum, she could feel him shivering intensely. Halfway through, she felt him lift her up to kiss her passionately. Pulling her under the warm water with him, the two did their best to breathe without having to release their lips from one another.

After finally needing a breath, Helga said "Let's get out before we have another slip and slide incident. I can't handle the thought of being pregnant again!"

Holding his hand against her face, he winked "Alright. We'll practice that another time."

Rolling her eyes at him, she stepped out of the shower. "I'm going to blow dry my hair. I'd say meet you for breakfast, but I think we're out of anything worth eating!"

Arnold blushed at her remark, knowing the fridge and freezer were about empty. "Alright, I'll still be waiting in the kitchen for you."

After finishing her hair, Helga went to find something to wear. Going through her closet, she thought to herself _I wonder if Arnold's going to guilt me into dressing up for dinner tonight? Even so, I don't see any reason to wear a pair of heels to the grocery story._

After throwing on her purple sweater and blue jeans, she went in the kitchen to see Arnold ready to leave.

"So much for your 'I don't take the twenty minutes a girl normally would to get ready' remark." Arnold couldn't help pointing out, while watching her glare at him.

"Shut up headboy! I was drying my hair!" she scowled.

"Trust me. I didn't start counting until after you turned off the dryer." he laughed, watching her place her hands on her hips.

"Yeah, well if I didn't have to worry about this stupid dinner with my stupid family, I wouldn't have had to worry about choosing what to wear!" she scowled, as the two of them headed out the door.

Arnold turned to face her after a moment of silence. Seeing her cool down, he asked "Since when do you care what they think of you?"

Rolling her eyes, she replied "Pttss… I don't care. I'm just used to you insisting I should give them a chance. Meaning I'm learning to prepare myself for your stupid guilt trips."

Arnold began to rub his neck, feeling a bit of guilt right there. "I'm sorry Helga. I didn't mean to make you feel that way. We don't have to go. It's not like we need her help with the case."

Rolling her eyes at his apology, she replied "If we don't go she's just going to leave a weeping message on my phone."

Taking her hand in his, Arnold replied "Well, it'll be nice having someone cook for us. I don't know about you, but I'm getting sick of tv dinners and macaroni."

"Yeah, every now and then she comes in handy for a few things." Helga sighed, hating to admit it.

Arnold's eyes then lit up, while Helga' felt him squeeze her hand tighter. "What's with the extra pressure for football head?"

"I was just thinking…" he began, while seeing her cock her brow "Yeah?"

"We're still getting the hang of this married couple thing."

"Like making it out of the house without running into anyone threatening?' she scoffed.

"Uhh right. Anyway, I thought to keep in touch with our families, we could have dinner at your place one night a week." he blushed, seeing her grin widely at him.

"Is that code for 'I'm looking for a free meal!' football head?"

Rolling his eyes, he replied, "No, I just know how much more we see my family than yours."

"You say that like it's a bad thing." cocking her brow at him.

"Come on Helga. Despite the fact they're back to their perturbed behavior, that was a really nice thing they did for us. We should show as much appreciation as possible!" Arnold insisted.

"By begging for food?! 'Wow! How nice of you to pay for my home...will you make me dinner too?!' Sheesh!" she scowled.

"Whatever you say Helga." he sighed, while crossing the street to get to the Corner Store with her.

Inside, Arnold grabbed a basket and said "We never ended up making a list."

"I prefer just grabbing what I pass. Not that Bob ever let me have much say when we did that." Helga muttered.

"You went shopping with your dad?" Arnold asked curiously, while they entered the produce section.

"Yeah...I told you about that 'quantity time' week Miriam made us spend together?!" she scowled.

"Oh right. Sorry your break got ruined like that." he said, grabbing the bananas.

"Yeah well, it's over now. He can spend his time with the tv while Miriam bonds with the blender!" she scoffed with her hands on her hips.

Rolling his eyes at her negativity, they made their way to the snacks after grabbing the produce they wanted. Helga began grabbing practically every unhealthy snack she found to be pleasing to the eye. "Let's see popcorn, chips, cookies, candy…"

"Why not just live at the theater?" Arnold laughed until she whipped her head around to glare at him.

"Hey! You're the one who came down this aisle, bucko!" she snapped, pointing a finger in his face.

"I just wanted some chocolate syrup for the ice cream." he said hesitantly.

"Ooohh...that's REAL healthy! Pttss...gimme a break!" she scowled.

"Whatever you say Helga." he sighed, while the two headed towards the cereal aisle.

Helga didn't bother to wait up for Arnold. When he turned the corner, he saw her carrying five or six boxes of Sugar Chunk cereal. After she dumped it in the cart, he said "I thought the point of coming here was so we wouldn't have to worry about that being the only thing you ate?"

Rolling her eyes at him, she smirked "Hey, I gotta have SOMETHING for breakfast! You don't seem to want me touching the microwave either hairboy? Sheesh!" she scowled.

Smiling at her, he said "You're right. I guess I'm just anxious for us to know how to cook."

"Yeah, well we DON'T know how! And you're fantasizing isn't going to take care of my stomach in the morning!" she scowled, marching to the next aisle.

While pushing the cart down the aisle, Arnold turned to see Helga standing still. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, why?" she asked.

"You're just standing there."

"It's the pastry aisle? Unless you need help choosing your favorite bread style, I don't see anything worth getting excited over." she smirked.

Seeing her point, the two headed for the dairy section. Arnold grabbed some cheese, meat, and anything else he thought would be useful for them. _I should have just brought Jason's list._

After grabbing a few things, he saw Helga returning with the milk. "Okay, let's get the ice cream and go." she insisted.

"We should still get some microwavable food. Like you said, this is reality, so we'll be needing something for dinner every night." he pointed out.

Following him with her arms crossed, she said "Crimity! This section's colder than the Beeper Emporium!"

"Didn't you guys have a heater when you lived there?" Arnold asked, turning to see her shiver.

"Are you kidding? Bob wasn't going to spend any extra money!" she scowled, while watching Arnold grab anything he thought the two might like.

"Well, I guess we can go now." he suggested.

"Hey! You forgot the ice cream. I didn't come down this aisle just to freeze my butt off!" she scowled, marching passed him to grab it.

While opening the cold door to search for her triple chocolate ice cream, she noticed a hand beside her.

"Oh sorry, I...Matt!" Helga gasped, backing away from the ice cream.

Matt handed it to her, grinning widely. "How have you been Helga?" he asked, while seeing her eyes widen.

"O..Okk..Okay, I guess." she gulped.

Arnold then came up to see what had been taking so long. "I'm finished if you're ready Helga?"

He then turned to see who she was standing next to. "Matt! What are you doing here?!"

"Well, it is a convenient place to shop?" he laughed, not caring what their thoughts may be.

Helga held the ice cream tight, not thinking about how cold it was.

"So Helga, Amanda said she told you how terrible I feel about everything that happened." he said, still smiling.

Arnold began to clench his fists, not liking where this was going. Helga simply nodded at his words, while not being able to lower her eyelids.

"Although she won't admit it, Amanda's not too proud of her actions either Arnold." Matt said, while Arnold simply rolled his eyes in disbelief.

"So, are you just apologizing, and wanting to put everything behind us then?" Arnold asked, while watching Matt's smile grow.

"She and I both want to do something special with the two of you this Friday night. Perhaps take you out to dinner at Chez Pierre?" he suggested.

"Thanks, but that's not necessary. If you're willing to forget about everything, we are too." Arnold insisted, wrapping his arm around Helga.

"I can't forget about it if you don't let me make it up to you." Matt said, not being able to take his eyes off Helga.

Glaring intensely, Arnold said "Fine! You two better not try anything funny though!"

"Wouldn't dream of it." he said, winking at her.

Arnold took the ice cream away from her, knowing how cold she must be at that point, while watching Matt walk away. He was tempted to leave their basket there and just run out with her.

"Are you okay Helga?" he sighed, seeing she still hadn't moved.

"What are we going to do?" she asked, finally finding her voice.

Arnold wrapped his arm around her, saying "I still don't trust them, but if we don't go to dinner he is going to sue us."

Helga buried her face in Arnold's shirt, trying not to cry. While he hugged her tight, he said "Let's go pay; we'll figure this out later."

After standing in line silently and marching home with their groceries, Arnold thought to himself _I should have gotten us a cab. That or gotten the packard from grandpa._

Making it home, he expected to hear Helga yelling about the difficult walk with the grocery bags. Instead he saw her quietly beginning to put them away.

After they had finished, he said "Don't worry Helga. We're going to get through this. I won't let anything happen to you!"

"I don't want anything happening to either of us. Like you said the other day, Amanda's involved now. They really do have some sort of crazy scheme to tear us apart! Whether or not they succeed, our only choice is to ride this lawsuit thing to the end of the next few months!" she scowled.

Arnold went over to hug her, knowing the frustration this had caused the both of them. What was he supposed to do though? Just watch Matt feel her up that day at school?

After she lifted her head to see his comforting face, she listened to him say "I would never let anything ruin the special life I share with you. You've come through for me in so many ways, it's my turn to help you."

A tear fell from her eye as she cocked her brow "Umm news flash Arnoldo! I'm the one who works in the law firm."

Smiling at her, he wiped the tear from her face. "I can still give orders." he whispered, picking her up to take to the bedroom.

Laying down beside her on the bed, he ran his fingers through her hair. Looking into her sad blue eyes, he said "I'm glad you punched him. You think you're weak, but you're my stronger half." he winked, watching her give a weak smile.

She put a hand up to his face, loving she had someone who cared about her that much. Someone who thought so positively about her; who supported her actions despite her negative attitude.

While feeling her soft hand caress his warm cheek, he bent down to kiss her sad lips. Forgetting all the drama that had taken place the past two weeks, he pulled her head up against his aggressively. Smashing their faces together, as if he just couldn't get her close enough to him.

Sucking her tongue aggressively, he felt her still rubbing his cheeks. Not feeling her fight back made him remember what she had said about her liking him taking advantage of her every once in awhile.

Without wasting any time, Arnold then sat her up to remove her top. Placing his lips on hers, rubbing his hands up and down her waist, he thought back to the day Matt felt her up. Squeezing her tight, running his hands up and down her body, the thought of this made Arnold breathe intensely. He reached behind Helga to unhook her bra, having a hard time sitting up to take it off her.

Only intending to let her lips go a moment to take it off, she stopped him before he could kiss her again.

"What's wrong?" he asked, panting heavily.

"You normally aren't this out of breath until your pants come off." she smirked.

Trying to calm himself down, he replied "I'm sorry. I just can't believe we saw him. I can't believe everything that's happened."

Rolling her eyes, she scoffed. "There went your optimism, headboy!"

"You're right. Maybe these are the moments it leaves...much like when your reputation decides to give itself a rest." he winked, while she placed her hands on his shoulders.

Smiling at her with half lidded eyes, his hands began to massage her breasts. Kissing her once again, he thought to himself _She hasn't eaten all day. Maybe we should stop this?_

He just couldn't however. Sucking her tongue harder, he began to rub her nipples. An action he knew would cause her to release a deep moan, implying pleasure and lack of focus. While he did this, he moved his mouth from sucking her tongue to kissing her neck. Her arms then dropped from his shoulders, implying he was free to do whatever he wanted to her.

Looking at her sweet, tired face, Arnold sat up to run his fingers through her hair. Kissing her on the cheek, he thought to himself _I'll leave her alone and make her something to eat._

Helga laid there unresponsive to the fact that Arnold had left the room.

He went into the kitchen to search for something he thought she might like other than cereal. _Well, she was right. Unless she wants something microwavable or pasta, I can't do anything special for her._

Arnold then saw Jason't list sitting on the kitchen table. The next thing on it was fried vegetable. He knew Helga wouldn't find that to be any more exciting than the soup. The next thing on the list was brownies. _Maybe I could make her some brownies. We did it once before and it wasn't hard._

Arnold anxiously pulled out the cooking supplies and ingredients he knew he would need to make them. _I'm glad I grabbed the ingredients the last time we went to my grandparents'_

While after mixing the ingredients and throwing them into the oven, Helga still hadn't woken up. He had nothing better to do than sit there and think to himself in the kitchen. _What's going to happen at dinner with Matt and Amanda? In the past two weeks, I've had to worry about three different guys liking Helga! Will Harold be a convincing enough witness if the worst should happen?!_

While Arnold sat and pondered this, he didn't realize the brownies had been left in longer than they showed have been. Snapping out of his fantasy world, he looked over at the timer to see it had been beeping for nearly five minutes.

"Oh no! I hope they're not too burnt!" he exclaimed, forgetting Helga was still asleep.

After taking them out of the oven, he knew he should let them sit a moment. Once he set them on the counter, he turned to hear "What's all the commotion football head?"

"Oh, hey Helga. I was just baking some brownies. I know you haven't eaten all day." he said.

"Smells more like burnt marshmallows." she scoffed, taking a seat at the table with him.

"Yeah, I left them in there a little too long." he blushed, scratching his head.

"Pttss...figures. Sorry I passed out like that." She said, yawning at him.

Reaching across the table for her hand, he replied "Nah, it was my fault. I know how relaxing that move is for you."

Seeing her blush profusely, she replied "Yeah well, you didn't exactly have the easiest time keeping focus this morning during a certain part of the shower."

Smiling at her, he got up to cut the brownies. Helga looked over to notice him struggling with the burnt dessert. "Hey Pillsbury can't cook boy...what's taking so long?"

"They're just a little stale." he said regrettably, managing to cut through them.

"A little huh? You mean like your head is a little bigger than it should be." she smirked, taking the plate from him.

"Whatever you say Helga." he sighed, watching her try to bite into his sweet yet burnt treat.

Helga watched him try to hold back a laugh as she asked with a mouth full of food "What's so funny?"

Smiling widely at her, he replied "Watching you try to chew that. Most people would just spit something that burnt out. You don't seem to want to give up on it though."

Glaring at him after finally managing to swallowing, she scowled "Hey! I'm just being polite! You made them, I'm eating them."

"You're right. It has nothing to do with your stubbornness or your impolite eating habits." he couldn't help but tease her.

Rolling her eyes, she smirked "We should have given this batch to Geraldo. Next time I intentionally lose a bet to him, remember to leave the dessert in the oven an extra five minutes."

"Whatever you say Helga." he said, eyeing the clock.

"It's almost five. You want to head over to your parent's house?"

Helga shrugged her shoulders, never wanting to go over there. "Guess we might as well. If we're lucky, she burnt something as well."

Raising an eyebrow, Arnold asked "Why would that make us lucky?"

"Because it would make her look bad. Doi!" Helga scowled, grabbing her purse.

Arnold shook his head at her inability to make peace with her family. The two then headed out the door for their house.

"So, what do you think she'll be cooking?" he asked, wanting to start a conversation.

"Probably a whole thanksgiving dinner she can spend the next few months bragging about!" Helga smirked.

"If they're okay with the idea of us having dinner over there on Sundays, maybe Olga would show you how to cook a few things?" he suggested, knowing Helga wouldn't like the idea.

"Why don't you work with her. You seem to have a thing for her anyway."

Widening his eyes at her remark, he asked "What are you talking about?"

"For the past year now you've been fixated on me bonding with her. Is it because of your concern for my closeness with my family, or you wanting to feel up my sister?" she smirked.

Rolling his eyes at her remark, he replied "I think you need something to eat. After dinner I'll let you reminisce about the accusation you just made towards me."

Making it to her family's house, Arnold rang the doorbell, while Helga stood there with her arms crossed. A moment later it flew open, while they both heard what had become an annoying greeting to both of them. "Baby sister!"

Olga wrapped her arms tight around Helga, once again not caring about her crossed, unwelcoming arms.

"Arnold! How are you?" Olga exclaimed, while Arnold stood there calmly.

"We're fine. We just came to see if you still wanted us over for dinner?" he asked hopefully, while Helga would have been happy to go to bed with an empty stomach.

"Of course! Come in! I've made green bean casserole, corn pudding, mashed potatoes, rolls, stuffing, and I'll be pulling the turkey out of the oven shortly." she exclaimed.

Arnold turned to look at Helga with wide eyes while seeing her give him the _I told you so_ look.

Following her into the kitchen, Arnold said "Wow Olga! You didn't have to go to all that trouble!"

Helga leaned back against the counter with her arms and legs crossed. Seeing Arnold this fixated on her sister's skills was like seeing him looking at Lila all over again.

"Oh it was no trouble Arnold! Why don't you two have a seat in the living room, while I finish getting the table ready."

Arnold, being the helpful person that he is, didn't feel right sitting and watching tv. "Let me at least help you set the table."

Helga smacked her face at the thought of him wanting to help her with anything.

"Okay! Helga can show you where the dishes are." she said happily, while Helga mumbled to herself. "With pleasure."

After the two of them had the table set, Helga sat in her chair with her head leaning against her arm, while she watched Arnold help Olga bring in the food. By that point, she didn't care how impressed he was with her.

"Well, the table's all set! Mommy! Daddy! Dinner's ready!" Olga exclaimed, while Arnold took a seat beside Helga.

"Alright! I'm starving!" Bob exclaimed, walking in to see Helga and Arnold.

"Hey, what's the girl doing here? I thought we paid for you two to have an apartment?" Bob asked, while Helga rolled her eyes at his unwelcoming behavior.

"I invited them to dinner daddy! We don't see them much anymore!" Olga said, while Helga wasn't the least bit surprised by his reaction. She knew their sweet behavior at her wedding was merely a fluke.

"Alright. Let's just start eating, I'm starved. Where the heck did Miriam disappear to?" he wondered, while Helga leaned back in her chair. "Probably making something 'special'."

No sooner had she said that, Miriam walked in with a glass in her hand and a dazed look on her face. "For crying out loud Miriam! Didn't you just have one of those?" Bob exclaimed.

Taking a seat at the table, Miriam began fixing her glasses. "I..I just...uh whatever." she sighed.

Arnold began to take notice of Helga's miserable appearance. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he heard Olga say "I'm so happy you're here baby sister! We were so happy to be at the wedding."

A smile formed on Arnold's face, while Helga just picked at her plate. "It meant a lot to us that you guys came." Arnold replied, knowing Helga wouldn't admit it.

Thinking about the cost he had spent on the apartment, Bob asked "So what about that fancy government job you were bragging about uhhh Helga? When's that going to start paying off?!"

Knowing why he was asking, she replied "I just started my internship. Nothing official has happened yet."

Waving his fork at her, he scoffed "Well it's a paid internship isn't it? Ya gotta be making some kind of money?"

Seeing her frustration, Arnold jumped in. "We're still getting the hang of things Mr. Pataki. If all keeps going well though, we should be making more money soon!"

"Fine. Fine." Bob said, focusing on finishing up his food.

After dinner was over, Arnold helped Olga clear the table, while Helga sat at the table a moment. _I can't believe how fixated he is on staying close to my family. If he's doing it for me, I don't know what makes him think it's necessary...sheesh!_

A moment later, Arnold returned to the dining room. "Ready to go...Helga?"

"Olga, do you know where Helga is?" he asked, while she gave him a puzzled look.

"No, I haven't seen her since we took the plates from the table."

Arnold began searching the house for her. _She must be in her bedroom?_

Opening her bedroom door, all he saw was what appeared to be a deserted room. His memory flashed back to the night he and Helga spent packing up her things so she could move in with him. After looking around a moment, he saw Helga walking down the street through her window.

Arnold then raced downstairs, not feeling he had time to ask Olga about meeting them for dinner next Sunday.

After making it outside, he looked to see Helga making it to the end of the street. Just as she was about to cross, she heard heavy some extremely heavy breathing taking place behind her.

Turning around to see her husband, she cocked her brow "Sheesh football head! Are you trying to throw up your dinner?"

Catching his breath, he asked "Why did you leave me like that?"

Rolling her eyes, she replied "You mean, why did I leave you with Ms. Fascinating? You seemed to enjoy being under her spell. I figured I'd let you two have your moment."

"Helga, stop being so jealous of her. I was just being polite." Arnold insisted, taking her hand.

"Whatever. I assume we're eating there again next weekend?" she asked.

"I didn't ask. I ran out of there once I realized you were gone." he said, seeing her give a weak smile.

The two of them continued holding hands down the street, wondering what work would be like the next day. "So, you get to start those individual sessions tomorrow. Think you can handle more of my twin?" Helga grinned widely.

Rubbing her hand, he replied "Like I said, she's just like you. I would want nothing but more of you."

Even in the dark night sky, he could see her beginning to blush. "Are you excited about the research and analysis work you'll be starting this week?"

Calming her nerves, she replied "Eh, even Mark said it'll be more like practice for the case than it will be a lesson. I guess based on everything that happened today, I'll really need to stay focused."

The two then made it to the apartment, looking at the tray of stale brownies still waiting for them in the kitchen.

"So, did you want to finish these? I promise I won't laugh too hard." he smiled, while seeing her glare at him.

"We should have brought those to the wedding. I could have smashed them into your face rather than the cake!" she scowled, watching him roll his eyes at her.

The tired couple then headed for the bedroom. Changing into his pajamas, which he just considered to be his boxers, Arnold turned to see Helga already laying under the covers in her nightgown.

"Is there anything you take your time doing?" he asked, slipping in beside her.

"Why should I? It's not like anyone ever notices anything I do." she smirked.

Laying down beside her, he placed a hand on her face "I think you know that's not true."

Placing her hand on top of his, she began to rub it. The two looked into each other's eyes, knowing how lost they would each be without the other. Arnold leaned over to kiss her passionately.

Releasing her lips, keeping their noses together, he whispered "You asked me not to leave you. Why did you leave me?"

Rolling her eyes, she said "I don't think getting a five minute head start on the walk home qualifies as leaving you."

Kissing her softly, pulling her close, he whispered "Whatever you say Helga. Good night."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: You Remind Me Of...

Waking up Monday morning to the sweet smell of his wife's vanilla scented hair still close to his face, he gave her a tight squeeze before turning over to shut off the alarm. Seeing his movements hadn't stirred her a bit, he began to shake her. "Helga. Helga, wake up!"

Rubbing her eyes, she scowled "Would YOU like a new nickname? Waker Shaker!"

"Hey, how else am I supposed to get you to get up?" he asked, not caring how upset she was.

"Yeah, yeah. If that kid really is anything like me, she'll know what to do when it comes to people like you!" Helga scoffed as Arnold rolled his eyes.

"You mean like yell at them?"

"Zip it hairboy! I want the alarm back on my side!" she scowled, putting her clothes on.

"You mean, just so I can reach over you to turn it off for you?" he laughed, slipping on his shoes.

"Pttss...whatever! I'm going to get some breakfast!" she scoffed.

"Great idea! Sugar will help that attitude of yours." he laughed, knowing he was just pushing her even more.

While entering the kitchen, Helga poured herself some cereal, thinking to herself _Why am I bothering to eat this when we have doughnuts at work?_

Arnold noticed the dazed look on her face and asked "Are you okay? You're not shoveling your food down in your normal way."

Rolling her eyes, she replied "I was just wondering what the point of eating this is when we have a room full of doughnuts at the office."

Shrugging his shoulders while joining her at the table, he said "I don't know, but it seemed to mean more to you than I did when we were at the grocery store." he laughed, while she looked up to glare at him.

Stopping to think a moment, they both remembered everything that had happened at the grocery store and what all would be in store for them that week. Helga stirred her bowl, no longer caring about her stomach.

"Yeah, well I should be going. Good luck with those kids today." she sighed, leaving early.

Arnold hated seeing her anxious to leave in the mornings. She knew there was no longer any reason to hide her concerns from him. Yet, that seemed to be what made her feel better...or so she thought.

"Can I have a hug before you go?" he asked, hoping to guilt her into staying a moment longer.

Rolling her eyes at him, she replied "Fine, but don't mess up my suit!"

Wrapping his arms around her, he whispered in her ear "I promise everything's going to be okay."

His once again comforting words brought peace to her mind, as she returned his tight squeeze. Giving him a quick kiss on the lips, she said "See ya football head."

A few minutes after watching her leave, Arnold walked outside to see Jason ready and waiting for him. "Hey Arnold! Ready to start work with our new patients?!"

Scratching his head, he replied "I think so. I mean, we did it once before and it didn't seem too bad. That could just be because the patient I was with reminded me a lot of my wife."

Looking intrigued, Jason asked "I know the last thing we're supposed to do is give away our patients' personal information, but how did she remind you of Helga?"

Not sure of how to put it, Arnold began rubbing his neck "Well, Helga's always had sort of a complex personality."

Jason nodded, understanding what he maybe referring to. "There are many people like that."

"The girl I was working with acted rough, but I could tell she was just trying to hide her sensitive side; which is how Helga has always been." Arnold explained.

"Well, not everyone has an easy time opening up to people. It must have meant a lot to her when the two of you were at last able to see eye to eye as far as your relationship goes." Jason pointed out.

Meanwhile, Helga had just made it to City Hall. Walking into the office, Mark turned to say "Hey Helga! Did you grab yourself a doughnut?"

Shrugging her shoulders, she said "Nah, I'm not that hungry this morning."

"Oh, well are you ready to go over the research and analysis?" he asked, noticing the troubled look on her face.

Shrugging her shoulders, she replied "Eh, I guess so."

"Is something wrong?" he wondered.

Taking a deep breath, she sighed "Well, Arnold and I did some grocery shopping yesterday."

"Sounds like a fun way to spend your Sunday." Mark say, winking at her.

"Pttss...if you say so! Anyway, we ended up running into Matt!"

Mark's eyes then lit up, as he leaned forward in his chair. "Did you two work things out, or is he going to sue you for sure?"

Helga's shoulders began to tense at the thought of everything that happened the previous day. "He said his way of 'apologizing' for everything that happened in high school would be for him and Amanda, a slut who was always hitting on Arnold, to take us out to dinner this week."

Mark raised an eyebrow in suspicion "So, he wants to apologize, even though you were the one who punched him?"

"The apology is supposed to make up for feeling me up and Amanda trying to steal Arnold. Arnold insisted we just forget everything and let bygones be bygones." she continued, leaning back with her arms crossed.

"That seems reasonable. Did he accept?" Mark asked curiously.

"Pttss...what do you think? He said the only way they would forget everything is if we let them buy us dinner, which is code for 'Let's swing or get sued!'" Helga scoffed, while Mark stopped to think a moment.

"Well, if you're sure backing out of dinner would lead to getting sued, you should go through with it. Arnold won't leave you and you won't leave him. That still doesn't change the fact that Matt has the right to sue you if he feels like doing so at any point the next few months." Mark pointed out, while Helga rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah. Which means, we've no choice but to ride this thing to the end." she sighed.

"Just think of it as good practice for everything you're learning here. Now a research analysis is someone who examines the facts and principles of a case by preparing reports on anything financial pertaining to it." he explained while Helga cocked her brow.

"I'm guessing this is going to come in handy for when Matt tries to take away anything worth taking I may possess."

Nodding his head, he replied "That's why it's good to stay ahead of him. Did you and Arnold ever end up finding a witness?"

Rolling her eyes, she replied "Yeah, one of our idiot friends said he saw the fight while munching on the remains of his leftover lunch at the bottom of his backpack...what an idiot!" she scoffed.

Giving a puzzled look, Mark replied "Well, as long as he's able to explain what he saw well enough to defend you, everything should be fine."

Crossing her arms, Helga sighed "Yeah, we'll see about that."

While Helga was pondering her thoughts in her office chair, Arnold was sitting in the medical office with Dr. Bliss, ready to start work with a new patient. Sitting in the chair with the notepad, Arnold looked at his notes on the next patient.

Overreacts

Unorganized

Easily offended

The door then opened, while Arnold turned to see a boy wearing jeans, a red sweater, and black curly hair .

"Hi, I'm Arnold." he said, shaking the boys hand.

"I'm Gerard! Oh gosh, did I say that too loud? I'm soo sorry! Ahhh!" Gerard exclaimed, grabbing hold of his hair.

Arnold's eyes widened, watching his overreaction to something as simple as an introduction. "It's...it's fine. Please have a seat."

Holding his chest, to catch his breath, Gerard took a seat in the chair across the room.

"So, tell me something about yourself Gerard?" Arnold asked, hoping not to scare him.

Looking away to think, he said "Uhh myself, let's see. I like baseball, riding my bike, catching frogs."

Arnold couldn't help but interrupt as he said "I have a friend who used to love catching frogs."

"Really? You don't think it's weird? Or gross? Or unsanitary? Or…." Gerard went on until Arnold put a hand up to stop him.

"No, in fact most boys your age love doing outdoor activities like that. Keeping clean isn't something they're normally concerned about." Arnold couldn't help but laugh.

"You don't think I'm clean? I told my mom this shirt didn't go with these boots! AHHH!" Gerard buried his face in his hands while Arnold was beginning to feel a bit emotionally exhausted himself.

"Gerard, maybe a good piece of advice would be not to worry about what other people think of you." Arnold suggested.

"What do you mean?" he asked, slowly pulling his face out of his hands.

"I mean from the moment you walked in here, you were ready to assume my thoughts of you were bad." Arnold explained, watching Gerard's eyes widen.

"You were worried about my opinion of your voice, your interests, and your dress style. Your opinion is the only one that should matter when it comes to those things though." Arnold said, watching a smile form on Gerard's face.

"Uhh yeah. I guess you're right. Wow, thanks."

"No problem Gerard. Guess I'll see you next week." Arnold shook his hand, while watching the new patient leave the room.

As Arnold was feeling confident with the work he had done, Helga was feeling a bit of relief just from discussing things with Mark. "So, I guess I'll make sure Pink boy doesn't forget anything that happened that day. Maybe I'll get him to record his words, or just write the whole thing down before he forgets it. Sheesh!"

Shaking his head at her description for her friend, Mark replied "Alright, we'll go over this more tomorrow. Have a good night!"

"See ya." Helga said casually, waving goodbye to him.

Walking down the street, Helga ran into Phoebe. "Oh hey Pheebs, what's up?"

"Hello Helga! How was work? Did your manager find Harold to be an acceptable witness?" she asked.

"Yeah, but I've got another problem." Helga sighed, knowing she and her best friend hadn't been keeping in touch as much as usual.

"Oh my, would you like to take a walk to discuss it?" Phoebe asked, seeing Helga shrug her shoulders.

"Eh, why not? I'm getting the hang of these heels."

While Helga and Phoebe were heading to the park, Arnold and Jason were leaving work. "So, what did you think of your patient?" Jason asked.

"It's funny how much these people remind me of my former classmates. Maybe that's just showing me people aren't so different after all." Arnold replied.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow. Have a good night with the real Helga." Jason couldn't help but joke with him.

"Haha yeah. I always do." Arnold smiled, knowing it to be true.

Smiling all the way home, Arnold came to find he was the only one in the apartment. _I wonder where Helga is?_

While this thought was circling his head, Helga and Phoebe was circling the park.

"So, you and Arnold finally ran into Matt?" Phoebe asked, watching Helga nod her head.

"Are the two of you going to go through with dinner?" she wondered, while Helga let out a deep sigh.

"We don't have a choice Pheebs. If we don't, he'll definitely sue us! If we do and he doesn't try anything funny, we still have to make sure to stay five freakin' steps ahead of him in case he does decide to try anything funny! Sheesh!"

"Hmm well at least you found a witness." Phoebe reminded her, hoping to bring some light to the situation.

Rolling her eyes, she exclaimed "Pttss...yeah Pink boy! Our lives are saved!"

Before her friend had a chance to respond, Helga heard her phone beep.

"Who's that from, Helga?"

"Looks like football head doesn't like the idea of being home alone. Guess I should get going." she sighed.

"Alright Helga. It was lovely to see you!" Phoebe assured her, reaching out to hug her friend.

"See ya Pheebs. Thanks for your help." Helga waved, heading for home.

She made it back to the apartment to find Arnold cooking in the kitchen.

"Hey football head, whatcha making? Indestructible brownies?" she laughed, walking towards him.

"Actually, I thought I'd try something off of Jason's list. Cooking really isn't that hard if you follow the instructions and use the right ingredients." Arnold assured her.

"Or pay attention to the timer." she smirked, watching him roll his eyes at her.

"Uhh yeah. Anyway, I thought I'd try some roasted vegetables." he said excitedly, while she passed an unamused look his way.

"I hope you've got some sugar to dump on them and some meat to set on the side." she smirked, walking towards to bedroom.

"Whatever you say Helga."

After changing into her usual lay around outfit, a white tank top and pink sweatpants, she went to see Arnold setting the table for them.

Helga went to grab some milk out of the fridge for herself, before taking a seat at the table. "So, I guess we don't need Jason or Olga anymore. We can just use the internet?" she said wittingly.

"I suppose. I think it would be better having someone teach us though." he replied, taking a seat beside her.

"I believe that's code for 'I need someone to read the instructions for me.'" she scowled, preparing to take a bite of her vegetables.

"Hey, I read them when I made these, and they turned out just fine...I think." he said, realizing he hadn't gotten her opinion on them yet.

Watching her chew with a questionable look, she reached for a sip of her milk. After setting it down, he heard her say "Like I said before we were married, you'd be the one handling the cooking."

Smiling at her continue to eat, he asked "So, how did work go?"

"I told Mark about our little freezer frame incident with Matt." she said, taking a sip of her drink.

Arnold's smile weakened as he asked "What did he say?"

Not taking her eyes off her plate, Helga replied "He says to just go through with dinner like we had planned, and make sure Pink boy doesn't forget any important information pertaining to the fight in case the worst should happen."

Lifting an eyebrow, he asked "You didn't actually call him Pink boy in front of Mark did you?"

Helga cocked her brow, implying how stupid it was for him to be concerned about her doing such a thing. Let alone surprised by it.

"Uhh nevermind." he said, while a moment of silence took over.

After taking her plate to the sink, Helga asked "So, how was your day? How's mini me?"

Getting up to put his plate in the sink, Arnold replied "I didn't see her today; it was a new patient."

"Who was it this time? Olga junior?" she scoffed.

"Actually, he reminded me a lot of Sid." Arnold admitted, scratching the back of his head.

"What was the kid's name?" Helga asked, curious to see how alike they were.

"Gerard" Arnold laughed.

Cocking her brow, she replied "Are you sure it wasn't tall hair boy in disguise? And he just came up with a lame-o name to cover himself."

Smiling at her, he replied "Yeah, I haven't heard that name since…"

"Since when?" she asked impatiently with a hand on her hip.

"Uhhh did I ever tell you about that dream I had when I was supposed to visit Arnie in fourth grade?"

Crossing her arms, she replied "No, but it sounds like more of a nightmare if you were visiting him."

"It uh kind of was. In the dream I went to see him, and all our friends were there. Only they had switched personalities. Phoebe was slow like Stinky, while he was smart like her. Gerald was over-reactive like Sid, while he was calm like Gerald. Rhonda was messy like Harold, while he was neat like her. You were umm…." he tried to finish, not knowing how she would take it.

"I was what, hairboy?!" she scowled.

"You were sweet and polite like Lila, while she was just….weird. She wasn't anything like the real you." he finished.

Smiling at him, Helga said "I guess that explains why you hugged me at our baseball practice in those goofy bear pajamas. You can never make fun of my one piece jumpsuit again!"

"Whatever you say Helga." he sighed.

"So, despite the wonderful five minutes that story seemed to kill, it doesn't explain where you got the name Gerard from?" she pointed out.

"Oh right. Gerald was named Gerard in the dream."

"Pttss...figures." Helga scoffed, rolling her eyes.

A moment later she noticed Arnold staring off into space. "Earth to football head? You having another dream about us?!"

"Huh? Oh sorry, I just realized something." he admitted, scratching his head.

"That you have A.D.D? Yeah, that's no shocker." she smirked.

"No, that in my dream, you were named Hilda, which is also the name of the patient who reminds me of you." he said, watching her keep an unamused look on her face.

"So now YOU'RE having dreams that predict the future? Man, we shouldn't go to sleep anymore! Sheesh!"

Wrapping his arm around her, he lead her into the bedroom. "Not being able to sleep with you sounds like a real nightmare."

A love sick sigh released from her, once again being reminded of how much he loved her. Rather than putting on her nightgown, Helga decided to sleep in her tank top and underwear, while already knowing how Arnold would be sleeping.

"You're not wearing your nightgown?" he asked curiously.

"Nah, it's too hot for that. I'll just sleep like this. Besides, I like feeling the sheets against my skin." she admitted, while he pulled her close to him.

"I like feeling your skin against mine." he whispered, kissing her neck, listening to the relaxing sigh she let out when he did.

"I love you sweetie! Sweet dreams." he whispered, seeing the soft smile forming on her face.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: I Never Realized

Waking up to the sound of the alarm, Arnold let go of his sleepy wife to shut it off. Two seconds later, he started his usual 'shake off' with her.

"It's time to get up Helga."

Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she scoffed "Yeah, yeah, I hear ya! Crimity!"

"How'd you sleep?" he asked, knowing she would never be a morning person.

"I dreamt I switched bodies with Ms. Perfect and tried to seduce you in your sleep." she said wittingly.

Rolling his eyes at her remark, he replied "Very funny Helga."

After getting dressed, the two headed for the kitchen. "Do you want me to make you some scrambled eggs?" Arnold offered.

"Nah, I might just grab a doughnut at work." she insisted.

The two sat at the table a moment, going over what would be taking place at work that day. "So, I assume you'll be sharing more fun moments with more kids who seem to just be replicas of our geeky classmates?" Helga asked.

"More than likely. Did Mark say what you'd be doing today?" Arnold asked, taking a bite of his food.

"Well, apparently this research analysis crap pertains to keeping track of anything that could be worth snatching from us if Matt does decide to sue. I'm guessing today Mark and I will be going over anything we consider to be valuable. Crimity!" Helga sighed, leaning her head in her hand propped against the table.

Pushing his plate aside, Arnold looked at her and said "As long as we're together, I don't care what he takes."

Straightening up to look at him, she replied "Thanks football head. Guess I'll see you after work."

Walking past him, Arnold grabbed her and said "Why do you always try to leave without hugging me?"

Cocking her brow, she smirked "Uhh because I'm going to work, not Mars?"

"Whatever you say Helga." he sighed, squeezing her tight.

Making it outside, Arnold saw Jason, ready and waiting for him. "Well Arnold, ready for another day of connecting with our patients?"

"Uhh I guess." Arnold said hesistantly. He didn't want to admit it, but he was starting to understand Helga's concern for deep meanings behind dreams. Was there going to be another coincidental moment with a patient for him today, pertaining to his grade school dream? If so, would it mean anything other than him being telepathic?

While Arnold pondered this, not having paid much attention to Jason, Helga made it to City Hall. There she saw Mark with a few sheets of paper in his hand.

"Hey Mark, whatcha got there?" she asked.

"Well, I hope you and Arnold thought about anything valuable you'd be needing to hang onto in case the worst should happen with Matt." he replied.

Helga turned her head away. She didn't expect him to expect her to be walking in with a list of things to hand over.

"Uhh I mentioned the idea to him. Seeing as how we just moved into a new apartment, there's really not much worth getting worked up over. The only fancy stuff is the cooking attire our friends' seemed to think would be useful wedding presents. It's as if they thought home-mec was one of my high school classes? Sheesh!" she scowled.

"Well, it's not just about possessions. Money is a factor as well. Do you have a lot in your savings account?" Mark asked.

Helga's eyes widened at the thought of what would happen if their families became involved in any way. "Uhh my dad has sort of been paying for the apartment. If we lose it, it wouldn't be the end of the world I guess. Arnold's family would take us in. I don't want either of our family's getting sued however."

"I don't think you have to worry about that. If your dad's paying for the apartment, Matt shouldn't be able to take it. Technically, it's not yours. Is there anything else you know of worth real value to you?" Mark asked, as Helga sat there and thought a moment.

While she was thinking deeply about this, Arnold was waiting patiently for the next new patient to enter the room.

"Dr. Bliss, can I ask you something?"

"Of course Arnold. What is it?" she wondered.

"Is it normal to think about something, or dream about it, and then see it happen?" he asked.

"Well, in a lot of cases it…" she began, but was then interrupted by their next patient.

A boy with a blue plaid shirt and suspenders walked in. "Arnold, this is Harry."

Arnold's eyes widened at the name. Once again, his dream was taking place.

"Hi, I'm Arnold." he said, reaching out his hand for Harry's.

"Nice to meet. You know, there's a stain on your shirt." Harry pointed out, while Arnold began to search for what turned out to be a faded part of the fabric.

"So, Harry. Tell me a little about yourself." Arnold insisted, having gotten used to being around the patients.

"Well, I make sure to dress appropriately and only hang around other people who do too."

Arnold didn't need a dream to know who that sounded like. Doing his best not to roll his eyes at the young boy, he asked "Does that mean you never care to have any fun?"

Harry lifted an eyebrow and asked "What are you talking about?"

"I mean, keeping up with looking cool nonstop must make it hard to find time to spend time goofing off with your friends." Arnold replied.

"Goof off? How is that going to make me cool?" Harry protested.

"What's the point of being cool in you don't have any friends to enjoy your success with?" Arnold asked, hoping Harry would see his point.

Harry sat there thinking a moment. Holding his chin in his hand, Arnold thought to himself _Is the fact that I'm reaching these kids so easily all just a dream itself?_

"I guess I see your point. I'll try letting the cool thing go, but I am not going to start dressing poorly!" Harry warned him, leaving the room.

Arnold gave a warm smile, as he replied "Sounds good. It was nice meeting you."

Having finished their meeting, Arnold forgot about his question for Dr. Bliss. He was just happy to have helped another young child with one of their life's struggles.

While heading out the door, Helga was finishing up her day with Mark. "So, I guess you don't have anything you're too concerned about losing?"

"My pockets aren't loaded with gold and you said the apartment's not mine. I can't think of anything fancy he'd want, unless he wants this ring." Helga said sarcastically.

"It's special to you though isn't it?" Mark asked, giving her a questioning look.

Helga looked down at it, realizing the over-reaction she had made over her dream and losing the ring all in the past couple weeks just because of a few familiar faces. Looking back up at Mark, she replied "It's nice, but Arnold is what makes it special. As long as he and I are together, it doesn't matter what possession Matt takes away from me."

Smiling at her remark, Mark replied "I'm sure he feels the same way about you! Go home and tell him everything we discussed today. Sometime this week, contact your witness, just to make sure he stays up to date on the case."

"Will do! Thanks for the help." she said, making her way out the door. On her way home she saw Arnold talking to Gerald near the front of the apartment.

"Hey football head, tall hairboy, what's going on?" she asked, approaching them.

"Oh, hey Helga. I was just telling Gerald about what happened with Matt on Sunday." Arnold said, hoping she wouldn't mind.

"You mean, Pheebs didn't already pass around the information to you?" Helga asked wittingly.

Rolling his eyes at her, Gerald replied "We are capable of keeping secrets Helga."

"Yeah, between each other!" she scoffed.

Shaking his head, Gerald said "I gotta go man. Good luck with Matt."

"See ya Gerald!" Arnold waved goodbye to his friend, before turning to look at his wife. "So, how was your day?" he asked, walking her into the apartment.

"Eh, not bad. Mark says we shouldn't have to worry about having the apartment taken away since Bob's the one paying for it."

"That's great!" Arnold exclaimed, squeezing her hand tightly.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean he won't try taking whatever pennies we do have in our pockets. Aside from those practically useless cooking necessities, I don't know of anything useful to pawn off." she rambled on, while they entered the apartment.

"If the worst should happen, we can always move back in with my family. Nothing's happened yet though, so let's just keep going about things the way we have been." Arnold insisted, watching her nod her head.

"I guess so. How was your day? What crazy classmate of ours did you see today?" she laughed, while following him into the bedroom to change.

"Uhh it was actually Harold. Only his name was Harry."

Cocking her brow, she replied "So some slob named Harry needed dietary advice?"

Changing his shirt, Arnold said "No, Harry was from my nightmare with Arnie. In it, he was polite like Rhonda. Which is exactly how the patient Harry was acting."

Widening her eyes, she replied "Why bother wasting an hour with each of these freaks when you already know what their issues are going to be? Have their solutions ready and written down when they come in!"

Rolling his eyes at her, he asked "Does it not seem strange to you that I'm witnessing the same people from my dreams?"

Shrugging her shoulders, she replied "You're the one who kept telling me not to get so worked up over a dumb dream. If they're really no big deal, why let this bother you?"

Seeing her point, he walked over to hug her. Brushing the hair out of her face, he said "You look almost as pretty now as you did in my fourth grade dream."

Glaring at him, she tried pushing him onto the bed. He was able to pull her down with him however, considering how close they already were to each other.

Once again brushing the hair out of her face, he said "Hilda doesn't know what an amazing person she is."

Before Helga could begin to blush Arnold pulled her down to kiss her. Pressing their lips together firmly, he wrapped his tongue around hers tightly. She laid there on top of him with her arms around his neck, while he continued shifting the positions of their faces. Feeling him breathe heavily through his nose against her face, she began to rub their parts together.

Feeling him set his hands against her back side to press their parts together harder, she thought to herself _As long as no one takes this feeling away from me, I don't care what I lose._

Releasing their lips, Arnold looked at his wife's hypnotizing eyes. Running his fingers through her hair, he asked "You didn't really think I had feelings for Olga did you?"

Rolling her eyes, she replied "Bringing up the Golden Child, way to ruin the moment."

"Well you had that same irritated look and attitude you do when I'm around Lila. I had to ask." Arnold protested, shrugging his shoulders.

Sighing at him, she replied "Arnold, she's over a decade older than we are! Sheesh! I know you don't have feelings for her! That's not going to stop me from wanting to ring the neck of anyone having a friendly chat with her...even if it is my husband."

"Whatever you say Helga." he sighed, putting a hand behind her head to press their lips together once more. Helga began to moan deeply. All she wanted was to stay in his arms, with his lips belonging to hers forever. That thought was interrupted when Arnold heard his phone beep.

Opening his eyes at the sound, Helga took back her lips to say "Crimity! Interrupted once again!"

Helga got off of Arnold to head for the kitchen. As sweet as Arnold's lips were, it wasn't enough to fill the emptiness of her stomach.

Rather than going through the fridge for something to make a decent dinner, she grabbed a handful of cookies and other sweet treats she had picked up with Arnold at the store.

Arnold then entered the kitchen to ask "Is that really going to be your dinner?"

"So what if it is? You got a better suggestion?" she scowled, showing the cookies into her mouth.

"Actually, my family wants to know if we'd like to join them for dinner tonight." Arnold said, scratching his head.

Shrugging her shoulders, she replied "Eh, beats having another round of those stir-fry veggies you made."

Rolling his eyes, he sighed "You cleared your plate faster than I did, so they couldn't have been that bad."

"Hey! I was being polite!" she scoffed, setting the cookies down.

"By polite, you mean shoveling more food onto your face than into your mouth?" he asked wittingly.

"Oh shut up! We going or what?" she asked, watching him grab his things.

"Uh yeah. I was thinking about calling Harold like you said, but I guess we can save that for later this week." he said, thinking out loud.

"I don't know what makes you think that loser is capable of helping us anyway. I mean crimity! The guy couldn't remember where his regular seat in class was half the time! What makes you think he'll be a good witness?" Helga scowled.

"He's all we've got. No one else saw anything." Arnold reminded her, as she stood there rolling her eyes. "Fine! Let's just go! Those cookies aren't enough to get me through the night."

Walking down the street holding hands, Helga felt Arnold playing with her wedding ring. Looking down at her hand, she listened to him say "I'm glad you have one again. I didn't like the idea of someone taking you from me." he said, winking at her.

Her heart began to flutter at him once again expressing his feelings for her. Approaching the boarding house door, Arnold said "I think Jason learned to adjust to the animals quicker than you did."

Rolling her eyes, she scowled "Hey! You know anyone else with a pet pig?"

"No one else cool." he laughed while entering the house with her.

The two then entered the kitchen to see Miles and Phil playing Chinese Checkers while Stella and Pookey were finishing the spaghetti.

"Hey shortman! How's it going?" Phil asked, not noticing Miles had moved a few pieces.

"Not bad. Work's been going well for both of us." Arnold said, not knowing if he should bring up the possible court case.

"That's great sweetie!" Stella replied, taking the pasta to the dining room.

"Yeah that's great Shortm...what a minute! Did you touch anything?" Phil asked, looking back at the board game.

"Of course not, dad." Miles winked at his son.

The family then followed Stella into the dining room where the delicious dinner had been placed on the table. Helga and Arnold took a seat together, as they listened to Stella say "So Phil says you two have had cooking lessons here with a new friend recently. What's his name?"

Realizing they hadn't kept in touch much lately, Arnold replied "His name is Jason. I actually work with him over at the medical center. This week we've been doing individual counciling for kids."

"Kids huh? When I was young, we kept our business to ourselves. Of course back then, no one's parents cared to know about their kid's business." Phil laughed, while Helga munched on her food. She thought back to the day she received the call from Dr. Bliss about needing therapy. Her parents were not at all pleased about the idea.

"Therapy at his day and age is quite useful for people of all ages." Stella replied, seeing Arnold smile.

"I don't know. For people like Pookey maybe. You know, the one's there are no hope for anyway." Phil replied, pointing in his awkwardly dressed wife's direction.

"So Helga, how has work been going for you?" Miles asked.

Helga dropped her fork, not knowing if it was a good idea to bring up the case or not. Her and Arnold's plan had just been to ride this thing through the next few months, keeping their fingers crossed that Matt was all talk. If the worst should happen though, that would mean springing dire news on Arnold's family at the last minute.

"Uhhh everything's great. Just been learning the basics. You know, office tasks, program planning, research analysis, stuff like that." she said softly. While the family all sent impressed looks her way, Arnold could sense the tension building up in her.

"So dad, have you guys been on any exciting adventures with Eduardo lately?" he asked, hoping to change the topic.

"Not recently son. He's back in San Lorenzo delivering more medicine to the Green Eyes. We told him our last mission there would be our last one forever." Miles replied.

"It better be! I'm not chasing after any of you again!" Phil exclaimed.

After dinner was finished, Arnold and Helga helped his family clear the plates from the table.

"Well, we should probably get going. Good luck with your board game grandpa." Arnold said, winking at Miles.

Helga couldn't help but roll her eyes at the idea of Phil not being able to catch a clue.

Once the two of them made it back to the apartment, Helga felt Arnold playing with her ring again. "Everything okay head boy?"

"I didn't realize how happy it made me seeing you wear it until you got it back. I know it's not your original one, but just seeing you with one reminds me your mine." he said, scratching his head.

Giving an evil grin, she said "Wow! You're more possessive than I am."

Rolling his eyes, he replied "I think I've already made my point about how jealous I am when other guys come near you."

"So why weren't you like that in grade school?" she smirked, yanking her hand away.

"You were already giving me your full attention; attention no one else wanted. What did I have to be jealous of?" he asked, watching her roll her eyes.

"Oh shut up head boy!" she scowled, making her way into the bedroom.

"Shut up as in no more complimenting you, saying I love you, or telling you how much you mean to me? Okay, if you insist." he laughed, getting undressed.

"You're just asking for a date with old betsy." she warned him, slipping under the covers.

"I think my fist is stronger than yours now. Besides, we know you're nothing but talk." he winked, pinning her down.

"I've never seen you hurt anyone, so you must be too." she smirked, looking into his eyes that were hovering an inch away from hers.

"I've hurt someone before." he said softly, pressing his nose against hers, seeing her cock her brow. "Uhh who?"

"You. I didn't know how much you cared about me when we were younger. Then when I did, I tried pretending it never happened. I'm sorry." he said, kissing her softly.

Her heart began to flutter, hearing these sweet words come from him. Removing his face from hers, he whispered "Let's get some sleep. Good night sweetie."


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Could You Write That Down For Me?

Hearing the alarm go off the next morning, Arnold rolled over thinking to himself _Friday's almost here. I wonder what's going to happen at dinner?_

Looking over at his wife, Arnold began to shake her. "Helga wake up!"

"Crimity football head! Normally you ease your way into it, not shout at me first thing!" she scowled, sitting up straight.

"Yeah well, by now I know what it takes to get you up." he laughed, watching her roll her eyes at him.

"Pttss...whatever!" she scoffed, rubbing her eyes.

While the two were getting dressed, Helga asked "So, what whacky student do you think you'll be meeting with from our class today?"

Scratching his head, he replied "Uhh I'm not sure. It's kind of starting to freak me out how alike this is to my dream."

Rolling her eyes, she replied "Pttss...so you're allowed to be freaked out by yours, but heaven forbid I say one word about mine, I get one of your life altering lectures? Yeah, that seems fair."

"Whatever you say Helga." he sighed, while entering the kitchen with her.

Helga grabbed the milk and cereal from the fridge while watching her husband read over the recipe list Jason had made them.

"Is paper your new breakfast? You can't seem to stop staring at it?" she smirked, while taking a seat at the table.

Rubbing his neck, he replied "I was just wondering if there was anything to make for breakfast on here besides pancakes."

"Not unless you want fried rice." she said with a mouth full of cereal.

Setting the sheet down, he sighed. "I guess I'll just have a frozen waffle."

"You better enjoy it! We stood on that freezer aisle longer than the ice cream had been sitting there!" she scowled.

Hearing that remark made Arnold think once again about the drama Friday would bring. Knowing he wasn't exactly being the optimistic type, he had to ask "Are you worried about Friday?"

Slowly munching on her cereal, she began to shrug her shoulders. "So what if I am? Like we've been saying, all we can do is ride this thing to the end. Also pray Pink boy is as reliable as he is wide."

Rolling his eyes at the remark, Arnold went to grab his food from the toaster. "Maybe I should call Harold today? Make sure he hasn't forgotten about anything."

"Ya think?" Helga scoffed, placing her bowl in the sink. "Well, I'm out of here! Enjoy your day with your mystery kid."

"Very funny Helga." he sighed, while setting his food down to hug her goodbye.

Feeling his warm arms around her made her want to skip work, just to continue holding him the rest of the day.

"I love you. Have a good day." he said, giving her a quick kiss.

"Uhh yeah. Right back at you." she said, blushing heavily.

After watching her leave, it was only ten minutes or so later that Arnold took his plate to the sink and headed out the door.

Making it outside, Arnold saw Jason ready and waiting.

"How are you this morning?" Jason asked Arnold.

"Not bad I guess, what about you?" he wondered.

"Mark's not feeling well right now, so he won't be at work today. I'm doing okay though." he replied.

Meanwhile, Helga had made it to City Hall, ready to discuss matters with Mark. "Hey Mark, ready to talk abou...Mark?" Helga wondered the office looking for him, but didn't see him anywhere.

All she could think to do was confront Mayor Dixie about the situation. After letting herself into the mayor's office, she came to find the mayor on the phone. Helga sighed, thinking to herself _Crimity! How long is this going to take?_

While Helga was waiting for the chance to ask about Mark, Arnold was speaking with Dr. Bliss. "Good morning Arnold and Jason. How are you dong?"

"We're okay." Arnold replied, not feeling things had improved much with the case recently.

"Well, we can get started on your counciling then." Dr. Bliss replied anxiously.

While Arnold was beginning to start his day, Helga was wondering if Mayor Dixie's phone call would ever end.

"Thank you. Bye!" Mayor Dixie at last said, setting down the phone, while Helga wasted no time walking over to her.

"Good morning Helga. How are things going?" she asked.

"Actually, I wanted to ask if you had seen Mark. He's not in his office." Helga pointed out.

"Now that you mention it, he left a note saying he wouldn't be here this morning. From what he's told me, the two of you have been staying ahead in your work. If you'd like to take the day off, he should be back tomorrow." she replied.

Helga shrugged her shoulders, not upset at the idea of missing work. What was she going to do until Arnold got off however?

As she was turning to leave her work area, Arnold was getting situated in his. While sitting in his seat, a new patient walked in. "Hi my name is Arnold."

"I'm Fifi." the girl replied, while Arnold was starting to expect this would happen.

"So Fifi, tell me a little about yourself." he insisted, watching her rub her chin.

"Well, I wreckin' I like arcade games, baseball, and just hangin' out with my friends."

"Is there anything in particular you're good at?" Arnold asked, sensing Fifi's indecisiveness.

"Nah, I aint no good at nothin'" she shook her head, frowning at the floor.

"There has to be something you're successful at; something that makes you feel special." Arnold insisted, while watching Fifi scratch her head.

"I suppose I do enjoy farmin' with my family. I take good care of the plants. That's about it though." she sighed.

Smiling at her, Arnold said "Perhaps you could try putting the same positive focus into your other work that you do into farming."

"How do ya figure I do that?" Fifi asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You probably do so well at farming because you believe it's something you're meant for. If you start believing you can be just as good at anything else giving you trouble in life, you may be surprised at the way things change." he explained.

"So, you're sayin' I should try to enjoy my homework and anything else I'm bad at?" she wondered, not knowing how that could help her.

"Maybe not enjoy them. Just don't automatically approach them ready to say to yourself, this is hopeless. I'm not good at anything anyway." Arnold explained, as she began to nod her head.

Meanwhile, Helga had just gotten Phoebe to agree to have lunch with her at the new 'Quite-A-Burger' Restaurant.

Sitting at the table, waiting patiently for their food, Helga scoffed "This better be 'quite a burger' for what I'm paying for it. Sheesh!"

Not being all that hungry, Phoebe asked "Have you and Arnold contacted Harold yet?"

"Pttss...no! We went home last not and received an invitation to have dinner with his eccentric family." she scoffed.

"Well, at least they're keeping in touch with you. It's also a loving gesture to want to include the two of you in their meals now that you don't live with them anymore." her friend pointed out.

Rolling her eyes, Helga replied "I guess it's better than eating with my family. Arnold seems to think it would be a charming idea to keep in touch with them by eating there once a week. Sheesh!"

"So, you're not going to do it?" Phoebe hesitated to question, while the food was being brought over.

"Pheebs, as nice as it was of them to show up at the wedding, you know it was all a fluke. I mean crimity! Bob's back to his business like self and Miriam's best friend is still the you know what." Helga said, grabbing her burger from her plate.

A frown formed on her best friend's face while she once again shoveled her food down. It was sad knowing about all the drama that had taken place between her and Arnold in the little time they had been married.

After not receiving a response from Phoebe, Helga continued to vent. "Plus, it doesn't exactly help seeing Arnold's reaction to Olga's 'oh so perfect' attitude."

"What do you mean?" Phoebe asked, intrigued.

"I just hate that he's like anyone else who sees her. He goes wide-eyed and can't help but be fascinated by every perfect quality of hers. Just like with 'Lila'!" Helga scoffed, grinding her teeth.

"Well, have you told him how his reaction around her makes you feel?" Phoebe asked, hoping to straighten things out.

"Yeah, yeah! I warned him he hadn't seen the last of my negativity if I hadn't seen the last of his slobbering reaction to her perfect performances." Helga sat back, crossing her arms.

"Helga, I'm sure he was just being polite. Arnold does his best to show his appreciation for the good in everyone, no matter what his true feelings of them are. That's why he tried to make you give them a second chance when the two of you were engaged; which is what it seems as though he's helping you do once again." Phoebe insisted, seeing her friend roll her eyes at her advice.

While Helga was pretending not to care about this, Arnold was happy he had reached another patient.

"Well, I think that's all for today." Dr. Bliss assured them, waving goodbye to Arnold and Jason.

"Okay, see you tomorrow then." Jason said, while Arnold had already begun to make his way out.

Walking down the street with his notebook, Arnold saw Harold coming out of the Corner Store.

His eyes lit as he decided to race across the street, not thinking twice about who might run over him.

"Harold! Harold!" Arnold screamed, seeing him turn around with a Mr. Fudgey bar in his hand.

"Huh? Wuh?" Harold asked, chewing on his treat.

"I just wanted to check with you about the case?" Arnold replied, catching his breath.

"Case? I'm not holding any case? It's a candy bar." he replied, scratching his head.

Rolling his eyes, Arnold explained "No Harold, I'm talking about the fight with Matt you saw at school that Helga and I need you to be a witness for."

"That's not today is it? I'm going to the arcade." he said worriedly.

"No, I just wanted to make sure you remembered everything that happened." Arnold said hopefully.

"Uhh I think so? Helga punched someone after doing some crazy dance that you got in the middle of. You both looked pretty angry after the guy fell. Maybe he forgot his moves?" Harold guessed, scratching his head.

Arnold rubbed his face his his hand, reminding Harold what the fight was about. "No Harold. Helga was being felt up. I stepped in to defend her, but after he made fun of me, Helga punched him. Can you remember that?"

"Uh I think so. Can you write it down for me?" he asked, seeing Arnold smile at him. "Sure Harold."

The two then parted ways, while Arnold headed for home.

On his way there he saw Helga waving goodbye to a familiar face. Standing still, he waited for her to approach him. "Hey football head how's it going?"

"Not bad. Did you and Mark decide to walk home together?" he asked anxiously.

"Actually, Mark wasn't at work today. I just happened to run into him after having lunch with Pheebs." she explained.

While Arnold trusted them both, he still couldn't get over his jealousy. "Jason said he was sick. Is he feeling better?

Shrugging her shoulders, she replied "I guess. He just told me he needed to stop by the store for something. Then asked me about our witness. Don't worry, I didn't call him Pink boy...again."

Arnold laughed, taking her hand as the two of them walked home together. Happily swinging their arms, not being able to take his eyes off her, he said "Guess which friend I saw today?"

Cocking her brow, she replied "Uhh Rhonda?"

Looking at her with half lidded eyes, he said "Nope, Phoebe."

"The Phoebe from your dream or reality. There's a wide gap between how much therapy would be needed between the two of them." she pointed out.

"Her name was Fifi, and acted like Stinky." Arnold began to explain before being interrupted.

"Pttss...sounds like you're the one needing therapy headboy!" she scoffed.

"Well, she was still a nice girl. All she needed was some self confidence."

"I'm assuming a grammar lesson to go along with it. That is, if these patients are as much as your trait swapping dream figures as you claim they are." she insisted.

Blushing at her remark, he said "Maybe she did."

The two of them then made it upstairs to their apartment.

While going to change their clothes, Helga said "I guess we should go ahead and try to get in touch with Pink boy. Mark will probably wonder why I didn't use my day off to do that."

After changing into his red shirt and blue jeans, Arnold replied "I actually ran into him on the way home."

Anxiously looking at him, she replied "Is he still up to date on everything?"

Scratching his head, Arnold said "Well, I reminded him of exactly what needed to be said. Then we both decided the best thing to do would just be to write down the information for him."

Rolling her eyes, she replied "Pttss...I can't believe we didn't think to do that with the whole group!"

Smiling at her in her sweatpants and tank top, he asked "Are you hungry?"

"Eh, not really. Pheebs and I grabbed a burger after I left work." she said, shrugging her shoulders.

Walking over to hug her, he asked "Where did you get it from?"

"From that new Quite-A-Burger' place. It was 'Quite-A-Disappointment!" she scoffed.

Resting his nose against hers with his arms wrapped around her waist, he whispered "Maybe I can fix that."

Rolling her eyes at him, she said "Uhh have you learned how to grill yet? If not you…"

Unable to finish, she felt him place his hand behind her head to press their lips firmly together. Pulling her onto the bed, he placed his hand behind her back, rubbing their parts together. Feeling him breathe heavily, she partially parted their lips to ask "Unless you like being dry humped, why not just get the condoms?"

Taking his lips off her, he said "I like the suspense of building up to it. It makes it last longer." he said, winking at her.

Flipping her over, running his fingers through her hair, he added "Besides, you seem to run out of breath just as quickly when we do it."

She began to blush heavily, as he once again leaned down to give her a lingering kiss. Even through her clothes, feeling his hands move up and down her waist sent shivers through her body. Shivers that grew when she felt him sit her up to remove her tank top. Their eyes remained closed with their lips intertwined, as he continued to undress her. They had repeated the process so many times, there was no need to ruin the moment.

Feeling him lay her back down, setting his warm hands on top of her breasts, she heard him whisper in her ear "Try staying awake this time."

Before thinking about what that meant, she opened her eyes to feel him caressing her nipples. Chills went up and down her spine, while he once again felt her grip loosen on his shoulders.

Bending down to kiss her neck, he said softly, "Had I know that was your weak spot, I might have hit on you in grade school."

Opening her eyes, she smirked "And I might have actually punched you."

"Whatever you say Helga." he said, running his hands down her waist to take off her pants. Feeling her smooth skin up and down with his hands, he smiled at her peaceful expression.

Chills traveled across her once again, as she felt him approach her lower area with his hands. Pulling down her underwear to kiss her there, the idea of Matt, or anyone else coming near her brought out an angry side no one even knew he possessed.

She felt his grip around her waist tighten, while he began to suck on her lower region. Feeling him constantly kiss her there, she asked "Are you okay?"

At last sitting up to lift off his shirt, he pressed his lips firmly against hers, holding her face in his hands. Gripping her tongue tightly with his, he thought to himself _I can't let anything happen at dinner on Friday!_

Helga laid there tongue-tied thinking to herself _I always have to wonder if there's a reason behind his aggressiveness. He's never going to be just a flat out tough person like me._

After releasing her tongue to take off his pants, she took advantage of the opportunity to ask "Aside from the next freaky patient you'll be confronting, are you worried about something?"

Placing his lips back on hers, he gave kiss after kiss making a soft smacking noise with each one. In between them, he managed to get out the words "I'm worried about Friday."

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she whispered "Me too."

After his last kiss, he rested his head against hers a moment. Pressing their noses together, he said "No matter what happens, I won't leave you."

"I know. I won't leave you either." she assured him with a soft smile.

He then sat up to grab a condom. Keeping her eyes on him, she thought to herself _What IS going to happen at dinner? Are they serious about wanting to apologize? It's not like we could trust them. They still have the right to come after us._

Arnold laid on top of her, sliding his member inside of her. By that point she had gotten used to the sharp feeling it started with. At least, most of the time.

Rubbing her back and forth, she squeezed his shoulders tightly. While he was doing his best not to wear himself out quickly, it didn't appear to be that way for Helga. She began breathing deeply with her head held back and her eyes shut tight. A loud moan released from her which he easily heard while hovering over her body.

Her arms then dropped to grip the sheets, while feeling him push tighter. Doing her best to hold on, she could feel the sweat forming on her face. Keeping his focus on her face, he noticed her lips began to quiver.

As he stopped rubbing her, he bent down to kiss her softly. Hugging her tight, he whispered "I love you sweetie."

A few hours later, they awoke to find themselves in the same spot they had ended their intimate activity. "Crimity! That was a workout!" Helga scowled, while Arnold rolled his eyes. "Umm for me it was. You just laid there enjoying yourself."

"Uhh who took the beating?" she scoffed, standing up to grab her clothes.

"Whatever you say Helga." he sighed.

"So, you hungry now?"

"Eh, I could eat." she replied, heading for the kitchen.

Going through the fridge, Arnold said "How about I make us some steaks?"

"And you really think you could do that without burning the apartment down?" she scoffed.

"I think we've come to find anything's possible with the internet." he said with half-lidded eyes.

With her hands on her waist, she cocked her brow. "Pttss...maybe. I still don't see what made you buy them. We didn't have Jason's 'impressive' list at the store, and you haven't mastered the stove yet. Are your dreams that fore tellable when it comes to life?"

Rolling his eyes, he said "It doesn't matter that I haven't mastered the stove yet. With these, all I need is a skillet."

"Oh brother!" she scowled, walking to the computer to print the directions.

While Arnold was pulling out the skillet Helga said "This thing says we need butter, salt and pepper to go with the meat."

Grabbing the ingredients, Arnold replied "Okay, we won't need my grandparents for those basic items."

Printing the directions, Helga sat down at the kitchen table to perform her management skills. "Okay...season the meat with salt and pepper. Then add two tablespoons of butter, and melt on medium high over the skillet."

While Arnold was following orders, he asked "How long do they need to be cooked for."

Reading the directions once more, his wife said "Each side needs to be done for about four minutes."

"Yes dear." he said sarcastically, implying his helpful behavior versus her demanding one.

"Oh zip it and flip it football head!" she snapped, tossing the paper across the table.

A few moments later, Arnold fixed their plates and sat down to eat with Helga. Listening to her smack the juicy steak in her mouth, he said "Maybe you could scare Matt and Amanda off with your 'oh so wonderful' table manners."

Looking up to glare at him, she replied "So what if I do? Would you then learn to appreciate them?"

"Why do I need to appreciate your smacking? Hey! There's a nickname...smacker!" he laughed.

"I guess it works, but not for that reason." she replied, setting down her fork to hold a hand to his face.

Once dinner was over, they took their plates to the sink and once again headed for the bedroom. Taking off her pink sweatpants, Helga laid under the covers, feeling the soft sheets again her legs.

Arnold took off his clothes, laying beside her in his boxers. Rubbing her sweet face with his hand, he said "I know a good nickname for you."

"What?" she asked, anxious to hear it.

"Angel face" he said sweetly, looking into her eyes.

Cocking her brow, she replied "Uhh I don't think anyone would fall for that."

Kissing her softly, he said "I did. Let's get some sleep."


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: If The Worst Should Happen

The next morning, Arnold and Helga awoke bittersweet to the thought of it being so close to Friday. The end of the week was approaching. Then again, so was dinner with Matt and Amanda.

After shutting off the alarm, Arnold began to shake Helga. She didn't seem too hard to wake up this time. Maybe between their intimate workout and a good night's rest, she was ready to get going.

"Morning sweetie." he said, watching her rub her eyes. "Morning football head."

"Did Mark say he would be at work today?" Arnold asked, while rubbing her shoulder.

"Yeah, he should be." she yawned, trying to sit up.

The two then got out of bed to get dressed and ready for work. "So, what creepy kid do you think you'll be meeting today?" Helga asked, putting on her suit.

"Who knows?" Arnold said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Your dream, apparently!" she replied wittingly, seeing him roll his eyes at her. "Very funny Helga."

The two then entered the kitchen, thinking quietly to themselves a moment. Helga sat at the table munching on her cereal after pouring herself a bowl. Finally, she looked up when she heard "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable yesterday."

Cocking her brow, she asked "What are you talking about?"

Sitting at the table with some cereal he had poured for himself, he replied "When I told you I'm scared about Friday. I'm not doing a very good job of being optimistic or supportive. Seems like my nine year old self was a better role model of what a good husband would be."

Smiling at him, she reached across the table for his hand. "We're both scared Arnold. You can't be positive all of the time; especially not in a case like this."

Squeezing her hand tightly, he said "I love you. I'm always here for you."

After a moment of gazing into each other's eyes, Helga said "Well, I should get going. Mark's probably wondering how the whole 'contacting our witness' thing went."

Smiling at her, Arnold said "Yeah, you're probably right."

The two got up from the table to hug each other. Giving her a small kiss on the lips, Arnold said "Have a good day."

Blushing slightly, she replied "Right back at ya!"

A few moments after she left, Arnold walked outside to find Jason eager to see him. "Ready to go, Arnold?" he asked.

"Yeah, let's go." Arnold replied, thinking about what dinner the next day would be like.

"How have you been enjoying your individual sessions? I realize you're not allowed to reveal any personal information about your patients." Jason asked.

Arnold turned towards him, thinking about the past week. "It's actually going pretty well. They remind me a lot of my grade school friends...in a weird sort of way."

"Why is it weird?" Jason couldn't help but wonder.

"Well, it's like they've switched personalities with one another. Then again, I guess that's what therapy is about. People with different personalities and helping them find the good uses for them." Arnold thought out loud.

Jason nodded his head in agreement, while then hearing Arnold ask "How are things going for you?"

Eager to respond, Jason said "Wonderfully! I've never felt so appreciated before! It's nice knowing people need you for something and being able to come through for them."

Arnold knew exactly what he meant. All he ever did as a kid was help his friends in their time of need. While it was exhausting at times, it was always nice seeing them succeed at overcoming their issues.

Meanwhile, Helga had made it to Mark's office. "Hey Mark, how's it going?" she asked, happy to see he was back.

"Good morning Helga. How was your day off?" Mark asked.

Shrugging her shoulders, she replied "Eh, it was okay. Are you feeling better?"

Smiling at her, he nodded his head. "Yes thank you. Did you ever get in touch with your witness?"

Wanting to roll her eyes at the thought of who it was, she replied "Yeah, Arnold spoke with him. If the worst should happen, he's got the information written down."

While Helga was sighing at the thought of where things could lead with Matt, Arnold and Jason had just made it to Dr. Bliss' office. "Good morning boys." she greeted them, while seeing them nod their heads.

"How are you this morning?" Jason asked.

"I'm doing great! Arnold, you can go in and get seated." she suggested, while Arnold went to take a seat inside the patient's room.

As he took a seat in the room, he thought to himself _What familiar face will I be seeing today?_

Hearing someone walk in, Arnold turned around ready to introduce himself. "Hi, I'm….ARNIE?!"

"Snort. Hey." Arnie said, not seeming amused that his therapist was his cousin.

"What are you doing here?" Arnold asked, not caring how unprofessional he sounded.

"Snort. My parents decided I needed some professional help. Snort. I'll be here once a month." he replied, while Arnold gave a questioning look _I don't think that's enough training to help with his problem?_

"Umm okay. Well, I already know plenty about you, so I guess we can skip over that part. Tell me what you feel you should fix about yourself." Arnold insisted.

"Snort. I don't have a girlfriend. Snort. Is Helga single yet?" Arnie asked, glaring at Arnold.

Arnold gave a wide-eyed expression as he replied "No Arnie, we're still married. Even if we weren't, she has no interest in you."

Arnold then heard Dr. Bliss cough, implying he may be stepping out of bounds judging him like that.

"What I mean to say Arnie, is you two may just not be meant for each other. I used to really like Lila when we were kids, but she turned out to not be the one for me." Arnold explained, hoping to reach him.

"Snort. You can have her. Snort. I didn't love her." Arnie said, not catching his cousin's point.

Arnold sat there thinking to himself _Therapy may not be as easy as I thought._

"Listen Arnie, you want a girlfriend, but there's something standing in the way of that. What do you think you could change about yourself to help with that?" Arnold asked.

"Snort. I could try flavored gum." Arnie suggested, while Arnold tried not to sigh to himself.

Their session was approaching the end as Helga's day was as well. "So, I guess we're done for the day." Mark said to Helga.

"Looks like. What are we going over next week?" she asked, grabbing her things.

"Data compilation and entry. It shouldn't be difficult. Just keep up with your case research and keep in contact with your witness." he warned her.

"Will do. Glad you're feeling better." she said, waving goodbye to him.

While Helga left work feeling confident, Arnold walked out feeling mentally exhausted. _What am I going to do? Arnie is back and he still likes Helga! Matt likes her, Jason and Mark may or may not like her. Why can't everyone just leave us alone?!_

Keeping his head down as he walked along the sidewalk, Arnold bumped into someone. "Ouch! Watch it man."

"Oh, sorry Gerald. I didn't see you there." Arnold said, scratching his head.

"No kidding. Surely it had nothing to do with you keeping your eyes on the ground rather than what was in front of you." he said wittingly.

Sighing deeply, Arnold replied "Gerald, I have a problem."

Crossing his arms, he asked "Another one? Man you've been married a couple weeks. What's Pataki doing to you?!"

"I was at work today and my new patient turned out to be Arnie." he said, rubbing his neck.

Gerald shook his head at the thought of that boy being brought up "Mmm... ! Does Helga know?"

"Not yet. What's worse is he still loves her!" Arnold admitted, while Gerald's eyes widened.

"Man, if you want her to stick around, you better not let her know HE'S going to!"

"That's so dishonest though! There's enough drama in our lives right now without adding secrets to it." Arnold protested.

"Whatever you say Arnold." his friend replied, shaking his head once again.

Arnold continued his sad walk home to find Helga on the couch in front of the tv. Flipping through the channels, she thought to herself _Man, nothing good EVER comes on at this hour!_

About to give up, she felt a hand across her thigh. She gasped, turning her head to see her husband beside her. "Sheesh football head! Will you EVER learn to give a little warning before approaching me?!"

"I still don't understand how you don't hear me opening the door, setting down my things, and walking over to sit down beside you? Are your daydreams about me that distracting?" he asked, seeing her blush harshly.

"Oh what do you know football head?" she scoffed looking away with her arms crossed.

After not receiving a response from him, she turned to ask "Are you having a vivid daydream now?"

Scratching the back of his head, he replied "Not exactly."

Cocking her brow, she said "Well, when you snap out of YOUR dream world, I'll be in the shower."

Watching her walk away, he thought to himself _What do I tell her? SHOULD I tell her? We're married now, with our own place. She doesn't have to worry about seeing him. Unless….we lose the apartment and move back in with my family?!_

After burying his face in his hands, Arnold looked back towards the bedroom. Hearing the hot water running, he said to himself "I have to tell her."

While Helga was washing her hair with her eyes closed in the shower, running her fingers through her hair, she thought to herself _Maybe tomorrow won't be so bad. Arnold and I both love each other. Nothing can tear us apart._

Thinking this to herself, she turned around to see Arnold standing in the shower with her. "Ahh!" She screamed, not expecting to see him. Losing her balance, he caught her. Looking down into her sparkling eyes, while the water ran through her silky hair, he said "I've got something to tell you."

"Is it that you've learned to knock?" she scoffed, looking up at him.

Standing her back up, he asked "Why would I knock when it's MY apartment?"

"Whatever. What's your news?" she asked

Moving closer towards her, wrapping his arms around her waist, he said "I saw another familiar face today."

Cocking her brow, she replied "That's your news? I thought we already established you could tell the future."

Sighing at her, with his nose pressed against hers, he said "It wasn't a classmate."

Shrugging her shoulders, she asked "Who was it then?"

Squeezing her shoulders tight, he replied "Arnie."

Her eyes widened, as she took her head off his. "What?!"

Continuing to stare at her, he listened to her ask "Where did you see him?"

"At work. He was one of my patients." Arnold struggled to say.

Rolling her eyes, she replied "Big shocker! So, what do we need to be worried about? He's not coming to live with us is he?!"

"He's going to be in town once a month for his sessions." Arnold began explaining.

"Yeah, like a one month session could really fix the handful of problems that loser was born with!" she scowled.

"Which is why I know he won't be leaving anytime soon." Arnold sighed, not letting go of her arms.

"Just keep him away from me." she scoffed.

"I don't know how to say this next part Helga…" he began as her eyes widened.

"What?!" she demanded to know.

"I really don't think we'll lose the apartment, but you know if we did, we'd be moving back in with my family." he reminded her.

"Yeah, so what? That creeps no longer there." she replied.

"I'm just saying a lot has happened to us the past couple of weeks. Things we weren't prepared for. I know I'm not being optimistic when I say this, but we need to prepare for the worst." he began to warn her, hoping he wouldn't have to say the actual words behind the point he was making.

Helga then clenched her fists, receiving the message. "Look Arnoldo, I don't know what financial issues YOUR family deals with. All I can say is, if that lunatic relative of yours ends up living with us again, I'm out of here."

"Helga please don't panic. I'm only telling you about this because I don't like us keeping secrets from each other. We just have to get through the summer. Then it won't matter how long he's here for." Arnold assured her, while she turned her head away from him.

Turning her face back towards his, he added "I love you and won't let anyone come between us."

Not receiving a response from her, he put his hand behind her head to pull her in for a kiss. After a minute of sucking her tongue, he could still sense her unhappiness. After looking at her a moment, he listened to her say "I think I'm ready to get out now."

Not hesitating to turn off the water, she stepped out to grab her towel, while Arnold stood there a moment. Alone with his thoughts, he thought to himself _I'm starting to understand the fear my former classmates felt._

Stepping out of the bathroom, he saw Helga already laying on the bed with her hair wrapped up in a towel; lying alone with her thoughts.

After silently getting dressed, Arnold went into the kitchen to make something for dinner. Feeling bad he couldn't think of anything besides pasta to make, he thought he should make Helga something special to go along with it.

While Arnold was doing this, Helga was laying on their bed, thinking to herself _I dreamed marriage to Arnold would be the best thing to ever happen to me! So much drama has come from it! Is it all my fault? Should I have just let Matt feel me up?_

A moment later Helga heard someone entering the bedroom. There she saw Arnold with a bowl of pasta and a dessert to go along with it. "What's this?"

"An extra large triple chocolate shake. Two cherries, extra whipped cream...no vanilla extract." he winked.

After receiving a weak smile from her, he kissed her softly on the lips. "I'm sorry for scaring you. Everything is going to be fine." he assured her, taking her hair down from the towel. Watching it flow across her face, he saw her shovel down her pasta as usual.

Rubbing her leg, while watching her eat, he said "You never did tell me about your day. I guess that was kind of my fault."

Giving a look that implied _you think?_ She replied "I told Mark about Harold. He didn't seem to think it was a bad idea that we wrote down everything for him to remember. We're not going to start compilation and entry until next week, so I don't know what we'll be doing tomorrow?"

Setting her bowl aside, she reached for her shake. Arnold watched her gulp it down, having to say "I cannot believe that doesn't give you brain freeze!"

"Who said it didn't?" she said wittingly.

"So, you continue to drink it while you're getting brain breeze?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, you got a problem with that?" she scoffed.

"No, but I think your brain might." he laughed, watching her take her last few sips.

"Oh what do you know!" she scoffed, pushing her dishes aside.

"How about multi-temp" for your nickname, since you can be both hot and cold tempered at the same time!

Receiving a glare from her, Arnold then picked up her dishes to take to the sink.

On his way back into the bedroom, he saw Helga stretched out with her hands across her stomach.

Laying beside her, he began to rub her stomach for her. Bending down softly to kiss her lips, he whispered "Good night sweetie. I love you."


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: I Think It's Off Now

It was Friday morning. The day neither Arnold nor Helga had been able to take their minds off the entire week. After shutting off the alarm, Arnold turned over, hesitant to wake his wife. _What's going to happen tonight?_ He thought to himself.

Before he could shake her, she rolled over. Seeing him hover over him, she began to rub her eyes. "Morning football head."

"Morning Helga. Ready for work?" he asked.

"Pttss...do I have a choice?" she said wittingly, while watching him scratch his head.

The two then stood up to grab their clothes, with only one thing on their minds.

Making it into the kitchen, Helga sat down with her cereal, as she listened to Arnold say "Well, tonight's the night. Are you going to be okay?"

"Pttss...you're the one who can't stop tapping their foot against the floor." she pointed out, while seeing him take notice of her accusation.

"Oh uh right. Listen, I was thinking after you fell asleep last night." he began, before she interrupted.

"You mean after you put me to sleep with that full stomach."

"That's an odd way to say thank you, but yes. I was thinking, If Matt or Amanda do try anything tonight, maybe it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world."

Cocking her brow at him, she asked "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean, if one of them hits on us, all we have to do is not retaliate. Then we could threaten to press sexual harassment charges. I don't think he would go through with suing us for the punch if he realized we could just as easily sue him." Arnold pointed out.

Pushing her bowl aside, Helga replied "So, Mr. Goody Two Shoes is showing his dark side."

Rolling his eyes at her remark, he replied "You know that's not what I'm doing."

"Sure it's not. Well, I'm off to work. Keep that dirty mind of yours under control football head." she smirked, while he threw his face in his hands.

On Arnold's way out, Jason could see something was troubling him. "Is everything okay Arnold?"

"Well, I'm guessing Mark told you about me and Helga running into Matt on Sunday, along with another person we know from high school." Arnold sighed.

"Yeah, he did mention it to me. He said he told Helga all you two can do is go to dinner tonight and carry things on as is, since he still has the right to sue until the summer is over." Jason replied.

"Well, she and I have spent the week worrying about what type of tricks they may try to pull to win won of us over tonight. Then I told her this morning, it may not be so bad if they did." he explained, while receiving a confused look from Jason.

"Why is that?"

"If one of them hits on us, we have the right to press sexual assault charges, as long as we don't hit them back this time. Then they may be willing to leave us alone." Arnold replied, while Jason gave a suspicious look.

"I guess that could work. I wouldn't encourage trying to make it happen though. That would just give them another opportunity to say you were messing with them." Jason warned, while Arnold nodded his head in agreement.

Meanwhile, Helga had made it to Mark's office, wondering what they would be going over that day. "Hey Mark. What's up?"

"I'm just reviewing some things for a few other cases I've been working on. How are you today?"

"Umm not bad." she replied, sitting down beside him.

"Are you and Arnold ready for dinner tonight?" Mark asked, setting aside his things.

"Well, funny thing about that…" she began, watching Mark give her his full attention.

"What is it?"

"Arnold had this crazy idea that if one of them hits on us tonight, we could press sexual harassment charges against them. That way, they'd leave us alone, then we could all go back to our normal freakin' lives. That is, if we didn't hit them back." she explained.

Mark remained quiet a moment, until he at last said "I hope you're not planning to 'encourage' them to make any inappropriate moves toward the two of you. If so, you certainly wouldn't have the right to press charges against them."

"Pttss...don't look at me. It was football head's idea!" she scowled, crossing her arms.

Meanwhile, Arnold was sitting in Dr. Bliss' office with her, awaiting his next patient. When the door opened, he turned to see Hilda. A smile came to his face, forgetting she would be back the next week.

"Hello Hilda! How have you been?"

"Pttss...like you care?" she scoffed, taking a seat on the couch.

"I do care. That's why I'm here." Arnold assured her.

"Whatever. Let's get this over with. I've got tickets to wrestlemania this afternoon." Hilda snapped.

Not feeling offended by her attitude, Arnold replied "My wife would be so jealous."

Hilda's eyes widened at the comfortability he felt towards her negative behavior. "Uhhh why?"

Setting his notepad aside, he replied "I told you she likes sports and outdoor activities. All she ever used to care about doing on our holidays during the school year was see wrestlemania events."

"She did?" Hilda asked cautiously, trying not to act like she cared.

Nodding his head, Arnold said "It wasn't because she didn't like feminine activities that it took us awhile to be together. It was because she was too scared to tell me how she felt."

An awkward silence came about until Arnold added "Part of it was my fault too. When she did tell me, I wasn't ready for the news. We both decided for a while to pretend nothing happened. You shouldn't let that stop you from showing people who you really are though."

Seeing a weak smile form on her face, Arnold asked "Is there someone you like in your class?"

Hilda's eyes immediately widened as she replied "What? Are you crazy? Why would you think that?"

Smiling at her once again, Arnold replied "Like I said, just because you act tough doesn't mean you don't have a soft side."

Hilda froze, not knowing what to say until her thoughts were interrupted by "Well, that's all the time we have for today Hilda." Dr. Bliss said.

Hilda got up from her seat and headed for the door. Arnold stopped her to say "It was really nice to see you again Hilda."

Rubbing her neck, she replied "Uhh yeah. See you next time."

As Arnold was finishing up his session, Helga was rapping up her day with Mark. "Well, have a good weekend Mark."

"Be careful at dinner tonight Helga. Don't do anything unnecessary, and if the worst should happen, don't retaliate." Mark warned her.

"I gotcha. See ya next week." she waved, heading out the door.

Making it home, she came to find Arnold already sitting on the couch. "Since when do you get home before me, hairboy?" she scoffed.

"I decided not to wait around for Jason after work. Hopefully he won't be too upset with me. I've just had a lot on my mind."

"Pttss...you and me both." she scoffed.

"Where are you going?" he asked, seeing her head for the bedroom.

"To change my clothes. Doi!"

"We're going to Chez Pierre for dinner. Don't change into your sweatpants and tank top." he laughed, receiving a glare from her.

"I think I can dress myself Arnoldo. Why don't you just worry about how you plan on getting hit on tonight." she smirked.

"Whatever you say Helga." he sighed.

After an hour had passed of eyeing the clock, Arnold finally said "Well, I guess we can get going."

Not wanting to go through with it, Helga replied "Yeah, let's get this over with."

Walking down the street holding hands, Helga could feel the sweat forming on Arnold's. "Sheesh football head! I haven't felt you like this since our wedding day!"

"I haven't been this nervous since our wedding day." he replied, rubbing his neck.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence."she replied rolling her eyes.

Squeezing her hand tight, he said "I know! I'm sorry! I just can't stand the thought of either of them touching us. If they do though, it may be the only way to get them to back off for good. I don't know how I could keep myself from punching Matt if I saw him try to feel you up again though. You're my wife now!" he exclaimed, while Helga couldn't help but point out they were at the restaurant.

"Well, I don't see them anywhere. Maybe someone suckerpunched him for us." Helga smirked.

"We can only hope." Arnold sighed, until they turned to see two unwanted faces approaching them.

"Hello Arnold, Helga. You two are looking just ever so lovely tonight." Amanda said, standing beside Matt.

Rolling her eyes, Helga replied "Yeah, and you're sounding just ever so annoying as usual."

Arnold put his arm around Helga, hoping not to let her get too worked up.

"So, this should be a fun evening. Just the four of us." Matt said, not being able to take his eyes off Helga.

The four of them walked inside to see the restaurant wasn't too crowded. "Can we get a table for four please?" Matt requested.

"Right this way sir." the host replied, while Arnold and Helga hoped the night would pass quickly.

As the four sat, Matt wasted no time getting to the point. "Well, I wanted to apologize for what happened last year. Helga there was no excuse for my behavior."

"If that's the way you really feel, why can you still not take your eyes off my chest?" she scowled.

Laughing at her remark, Amanda jumped in "It's true Helga, we feel just 'oh so terrible.'"

Cocking her brow, Helga asked "What do you mean we? You didn't feel me up?"

"No, but I did try to steal Arnold from you." Amanda winked, making him feel uncomfortable.

"Alright, alright. Let's just get to the point. Is this dinner really an apology, or are you planning some diabolical scheme to get in our pants?" Helga scowled, while Arnold's eyes widened with fear.

"Why whatever do you mean Helga?" Amanda asked, knowing where she was going with this.

"Don't give me that sister! You like Arnold, Matt likes me, Arnold and I despise the two of you. Are you really sorry for hitting on us after I made Matt's face meet my fist, or are you just looking to push this thing as far as it'll go?" she scowled.

After seeing Helga's need to have all the cards laid on the table, Arnold wasn't sure about the plan to give in to their desires.

The waitress then came by with their menus and asked for their drink orders. "Hello everyone. What can I get you all to drink tonight?"

"Spring water for all of us sounds just oh so perfect." Amanda said, watching the waitress walk away.

Rolling her eyes at the annoying redhead, Helga listened to her say "I'm afraid you've got it oh so wrong Helga. Not only do Matt and I feel terrible about what happened, but we're together now."

Arnold gave Matt a stunned look, while Helga crossed her arms and cocked her brow at Amanda. "You expect me to believe you two invited us to dinner just to tell us you hooked up weeks before the deadline to sue Matt approaches?"

"After realizing I had no chance with you Arnold, and Arnie dumped me, I went to visit Matt." Amanda began as Helga butted in.

"Don't worry, you were only her third choice."

Seeing Matt nod his head in agreement, Arnold replied "Well, as long as you two are happy, and not angry with us, I guess we can drop the lawsuit?"

"I never intended to sue you?" Matt questioned, sending Helga an enticing look.

Arnold sat there, not knowing what to believe. Even if that was true, it didn't change the fact that he still had the right to do it.

The waitress then came back to pick up their orders. Helga seemed to be the only one who knew anything about the menu. After ordering for them, the waitress once again left.

"So, if you never planned to retaliate, why couldn't you just call or email us to apologize? Why did you feel this fancy dinner was necessary? I mean for cripes sake! I destroyed your vision, now you're letting us destroy your bank account?" Helga insisted on knowing.

Arnold at last felt the need to butt in. "Helga, let's just let bygones be bygones. If they want to apologize this way, then let them do it. They said they're sorry for hitting on us. We're sorry for punching you Matt. Now can we please just go back to our normal lives?"

Seeing the smiles hadn't left their enemies facies, Helga scoffed "Fine! You two better watch your backs!"

After dinner was finished, they each ordered a piece of chocolate mousse cake similar to that from Chez Paris.

Helga once again couldn't favor manners over her appetite. When she finished her cake, Matt looked over at her. "Helga, you've got some chocolate around your lips."

Before Arnold could say anything, Matt reached over to wipe it off for her. Arnold's eyes began to widen watching this, while Helga could feel herself blushing intensely.

"Uhh thanks. I'm sure it's off now." she insisted.

"No, not quite." he smiled, continuing to wipe her face until Arnold grabbed his wrist.

Raising an eyebrow, Matt asked "What's the problem?"

Realizing his over-reaction, Arnold replied "Uhh it's just, you don't have to worry about that. I think it's off now."

"No, I'm ever so certain she still has some on there." Amanda pointed, while Helga's face remained red.

"Crimity! I'll just go rinse it in the sink! Sheesh!" she exclaimed.

Arnold sat there, knowing then the two had to be up to something. Why would Amanda not care that Matt did that for Helga? Why didn't Matt just tell Helga to wipe her face?

When Helga came back from the restroom, she sat down and scoffed "There. Satisfied?"

Looking at her with an intensive stare, Matt replied "Very much so."

Arnold began to clench his fists with fury. As he gritted his teeth in a way Helga would normally do, they heard the waitress appear with the check.

"Here you all are. Enjoy the rest of your night!"

Matt then picked it up, while Arnold dragged Helga out the door. "Before you two go, would you like to do something next week?" Amanda asked.

Rolling his eyes, holding onto Helga, Arnold replied "Thanks, but I think we're busy."

"I'm ever so certain we won't take no for an answer!" Amanda insisted, smiling at him.

Sighing intensely, Arnold said "Whatever. Let's just go Helga!"

Helga was then dragged back to the apartment, as Arnold swung open the door. Receiving the silent treatment from him, she said "Well, so much for your 'let them do whatever they want to us' plan."

Arnold then went to the bedroom, sitting on the bed, holding his face with his hands.

"Well, I don't know what those two are up two, but we're definitely riding this thing to the end." Helga insisted. After sitting down beside him, he rolled on top to kiss her. She felt him lick around the edges of her lips intensely. After he released her lips, she said to him "Between the work the three of you put into it, I'm pretty sure my face is clean now."

"I didn't like seeing him do it. I wanted to punch him right then and there." Arnold insisted, squeezing her shoulders tight.

"Crimity football head! We don't need another lawsuit!" she scowled.

"Even so, I don't want anyone touching you. Even if I have to go to jail for it." he said, pressing his nose against hers.

"If you go to jail, it would make it pretty easy for another guy to touch me." she smirked, as he rolled his eyes at her.

"Whatever you say Helga. Good night."


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22: Save Your Breath

The two of them awoke the next morning, happy it was Saturday but unsure of how to feel about the previous night. Hearing her sigh softly, with her hands folded beside her face and a weak smile on her face, Arnold began to rub his sleepy wife's arm. Neither of them felt comfortable at dinner the previous night, and had began to wonder what the point of it all was. They were already preparing for the worst; why give into their demands?

While he was rubbing her arm, he noticed her beginning to open her eyes. Smiling at each other, she said "Morning football head."

Reaching over to kiss her, he said softly "Morning sweetie. What would you like to do today?"

Stretching her arms, she replied "Guess we could see what Pheebs and tall hair boy are up to."

Running his fingers through her long, blonde hair, he said "Sounds like a plan."

After the two of them were up and dressed, Helga saw Arnold in the kitchen texting Gerald. "So, what does Geraldo think about hanging out today?"

"Not only is he cool with it, he says he has something to tell us." Arnold said, scratching his head.

"Oh crimity! What now?" Helga asked, reaching for the cereal.

Setting his phone aside, Arnold replied "I don't know. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Did you text Phoebe?"

Shoving the cereal into her mouth, she said "Yeah, we just have to decide what we'll all be doing."

As Arnold sat there, watching his wife eat he said "I don't really feel like going to the arcade."

Pointing her spoon in his face, she replied "Why? Because you're the only one who can't seem to get a high score on that stupid bus game?"

"Whatever you say Helga." he sighed, hearing his phone beep.

After placing her bowl in the sink, Helga turned to ask "Is that Matt asking you to be his best man?"

Rolling his eyes, he replied "No, Gerald actually just invited us all over to his place."

Shrugging her shoulders, she scoffed "Whatever. Get your things and let's go."

Walking down the street, Helga couldn't help but ask "So, what do you think this big news of Geraldo's is?"

Rubbing his neck, Arnold said "I don't know. He just said it was important."

"So important, he decided to wait for you to contact him before deciding to share it with you?" she said wittingly.

Rolling his eyes at her remark, the two passed Slausen's. Helga felt her arm being yanked, when she turned to see Arnold had stopped walking. "Sheesh football head what's your problem?"

Not receiving an answer, Helga turned her head to see Arnold staring at Amanda talking to Arnie.

Helga's eyes widened at the sight, when she saw Amanda lean in to kiss him. Arnold squeezed her hand tightly, thinking to himself _Do I not have to worry about Arnie liking Helga, or Amanda liking me? This just makes it easier for Matt to go after Helga though? Which means they really were trying something at dinner last night! Which probably means Amanda is once again just using Arnie to get to me!_

Helga and Arnold stood outside the parlor like a deer caught in the headlights until they saw Amanda leave. A few moments later, Arnie walked out. Although Helga couldn't stand the idea of making eye contact with him, Arnold just had to find out what was going on.

"Arnie, wait!"

Turning around to see his cousin, Arnie replied "Snort. Yeah?"

"Uhh...I thought you were only in town one day a month?" Arnold asked, hoping for a logical explanation.

"Snort. I missed my bus." he replied, unamused.

Helga rolled her eyes at his density "Big shocker!"

"I'm sure you could still catch one before your next appointment. I mean, it's not until next month." Arnold pointed out.

"Snort. I like Amanda. Snort. She likes me." Arnie assured him, while Arnold wasn't sure how upset Helga would be about breaking them up with the truth.

"Uhhh even if that's true, where exactly are you staying?" he had to ask, while Helga's eyes lit with fear.

"Snort. The Hillwood Homeless Shelter." he said confidently.

Raising an eyebrow, Arnold asked "How? I know it's only $5 a day, but where are you getting the money from?"

"Snort. They're letting me work in the laundry room again. I'm the assistant manager." he said almost proudly, while Helga slapped her face "Oh brother. What an idiot!"

"Okay, so when do you think you'll be going home?" Arnold asked, hoping to wrap things up.

"Snort. Never. I like Amanda." Arnie reminded him, while Arnold noticed Helga clenching her fists.

"Listen Arnie, there's something we need to talk about, but Helga and I kind of need to be somewhere. Why don't you stop by my grandparents tomorrow afternoon? We can talk about it then." Arnold suggested.

"Snort. Okay. Bye Helga." Arnie said, hearing Arnold sigh while the two of them walked away.

After having made it a few blocks past him, Helga said "Well, I think it's safe to say we know what Geraldo's imperative information is. Sheesh!"

"I'm so sorry Helga. I don't know if this is good or bad?" he said, staring at the ground.

Helga quickly whipped her head around, asking "In what way could this be good?"

"If those two really do like each other now, Amanda won't come after me, and Arnie won't go after you. That just makes it easier for Matt to go after you though." Arnold explained, rubbing his neck.

"Look Arnoldo! That freakazoid cousin of yours obviously proves I'm not the only one with a neglecting family. The guy's eighteen now though. Meaning, he doesn't need their permission to make any of the choices they've been making for him; AKA therapy, living with them. He's just too dense to realize that!" she explained as he continued to listen.

"Therefore, if you insist you're little friendly chat with him tomorrow is worth wasting your Sunday afternoon, tell him to quit therapy! That will get him away from you, then we'll only ever have to worry about seeing him again if the case doesn't work out with Matt," she scoffed.

Scratching his head, he replied "I don't know Helga. When we were engaged, he was single and we still ran into him plenty of times."

Rolling her eyes, she scowled "Yeah, well I'm sure it's because he was just following me around like a lost puppy. I mean crimity! The guy wouldn't stop asking me to live with him!"

A moment of silence occurred until they at last made it to Gerald's. Shortly after knocking on the door, Gerald answered it. "Hey guys. What's going on?"

Helga marched in, as though it was her house. Arnold hesitantly entered, not sure of how to respond. "Well, we kind of ran into someone on the way over. What was it you needed to tell us?"

"Come sit down in the living room." Gerald insisted, while Helga had already made herself comfortable next to Phoebe.

"Hey Pheebs, how's it going?"

"Wonderfully Helga. How have you been?"

"I've been better."

As she was lowering her head in self-pity, the boys entered the room. Arnold sat on the other side of Helga on the couch, while Gerald sat in a chair across from them.

"So, what's this big news Geraldo?" Helga scoffed.

Rolling his eyes, Gerald replied "Well, after hearing about your 'date' you two would be having at Chez Pierre with Matt and Amanda, Phoebe and I decided to have our own dinner date across the street that night at Chez Paris. I gotta say, you didn't look too happy most of the night Helga."

Glaring at him, she scowled "Umm we were the victims of two idiot high school feeler uppers. One who could quite possibly be trying to sue us!"

"Which is why Gerald and I decided it would be good if you two had a few witnesses for this occasion as well." Phoebe explained.

"So, what'd you see? Aside from Matt trying to show the world what a sloppy eater I am." Helga asked, leaning back with her arms crossed.

"Well, after the four of you left the restaurant, Amanda ran into someone." Phoebe began to explain.

"Save your breath, we already know it was Arnie. Arnold and I saw them frenching at Slausens on our way over here." Helga said in disgust.

"Well, this could be good news for you." Gerald assured her.

"Why? Just to give Matt and even bigger opportunity to come after me?" Helga scowled.

"If he does, you could press charges back. Prove he really is trying to sexually harass you. Just keep your fists to yourself this time." Gerald pointed a finger, seeing Helga roll her eyes.

"Unless he decides to do it, all we can do is drag this thing out to the end. Besides, just because football head's crazy cousin has the hot's for Amanda, that doesn't mean she's not just using him to get close to Arnold." Helga scowled.

Feeling the need to say something, Arnold replied "You said yourself Arnie's old enough to make his own decisions Helga."

"What's your point?" she asked, cocking her brow.

"My point is, if Amanda doesn't really like Arnie, we can explain to him you're not the only other girl in town he could go out with."

"Whatever you say Arnold." Gerald said, shaking his head.

Rolling his eyes, Arnold said "Let's just leave everything as is for now. It's going to be hard, but time is going by. When the next few weeks are over, we won't have to worry about the case."

"You'll just have to worry about running every time you see one of those three." Gerald insisted.

Shrugging his shoulders, Arnold replied "What else can we do?"

Helga sighed deeply, as Phoebe patted her friend on the back. "Don't worry Helga. Everything is going to be okay."

After a moment of silence took place, Arnold said "I guess we should get going. Jason's coming to my grandparents' to cook tonight. We should make sure they have all they ingredients."

" .mmm! I still can't believe you're taking cooking lessons." Gerald replied shockingly.

Rolling his eyes, Arnold lead Helga out the door. "Well that was pointless." she scoffed, while seeing the guilty look on her husband's face.

"I'll talk to Arnie tomorrow Helga, but you know, it's not a big deal if Arnie continues living at the Homeless Shelter. Running into him every now and then is no worse for you than seeing your own family every once in awhile is it?" he pointed out.

"I guess, but they're not trying to feel me up!" she protested.

"From what we've seen, Arnie hasn't tried to do that either. It's no big deal if he lives around here, just as long as he doesn't live with us." Arnold assured her.

"Whatever floats your boat. Let's just get to your grandparents'. I'm starving." she scoffed.

A sigh of relief escaped Arnold, after convincing his wife that seeing his cousin every once in awhile wouldn't be the end of the world.

The two of them then made it two the boarding house, well aware of the need to step out of the way of the animals.

After watching the flock of furry creatures stream by, Helga and Arnold entered the kitchen.

"Hey shortman! How's it going?" Phil asked, setting down his paper.

"Umm pretty good. I just wanted to make sure you remembered Jason's coming over for the cooking lesson tonight."

"I remember. Of course I don't see why you couldn't ask your mom and dad for help. Then again that would mean spending time with your grandma too. I guess you made the right choice." Phil said, scratching his head.

Rolling his eyes at his grandpa's remark, he heard him continue "So what's tonight's specialty?"

"I'm going to tell Jason to show us pulled pork, since Helga and I already tried a few of the other things on our own." Arnold explained.

"I don't see why we couldn't continue trying the other things on our own. All we need is the internet and my management skills." she said wittingly.

"She's always one step ahead of you isn't she shortman?" Phil laughed, winking at him.

"Uhh yeah. I'll text Jason and let him know we're here." Arnold said, while Helga began checking the cabinets for the ingredients.

 _Vegetable oil, barbeque sauce, apple cider vinegar, chicken broth_

"Well, he should be here shortly." Arnold assured her, as he watched her grab the ingredients from the cabinet.

"Yeah well, aside from that pig of yours, you got any actual pork to go with this?" she scoffed.

"Uhh I guess not. I'll text Jason to pick some up on the way over." he replied.

Sitting down at the table, Helga began tapping her fingers, thinking about how things would end with the case.

Arnold saw the puzzled look on her face and said "I promise nothing is going to happen."

Rolling her eyes, she replied "Pttss...yeah? How do you figure?"

"Because I'm optimistic. Which means I know it will always turn out okay." he smiled at her with half lidded eyes, taking her hand in his.

As the two were about to lean in for a kiss, they heard a knock at the door.

"Your friends sure do know how to ruin the moments, don't they football head?' she scoffed.

Arnold went to answer the door to see Jason standing there with a bag of pork. "Hey Arnold! Ready to get started?"

"Uhh yeah. Come on in." Arnold insisted, following behind Jason.

"Hi Helga, how are you?" Jason waved, setting his things down.

Rather than replying, Helga barely waved her hand in response.

"So, let's get started!" he insisted, bringing a smile to Arnold's face.

"Okay. Uhh Helga you're welcome to help if you like?" Arnold insisted, knowing she wouldn't wanted to.

Holding her head in her hand, propped on the table, she replied "Nah, I'm good."

"Do you have a slow cooker we can use?" Jason asked, seeing Arnold go through the cabinets.

"Yeah, my family's got just about every type of kitchen appliance. Here you go!"

"Great. The first thing to do is pour the vegetable oil into it. After that, you can place the meat, along with the rest of the ingredients." he explained, while Helga sat there thinking to herself

 _Who would have guessed?_

"After that, we can take the meat out and shred it with a couple of forks to place on some hamburger buns if you have any."

"Yeah, my grandma makes burgers at least once a week. My grandpa needs something besides watermelon and raspberries." Arnold explained, while Helga sat there rolling her eyes.

"I see. Well, they're done if you'd like to take one to him." Jason insisted, while Arnold anxiously ran the plate to his grandpa.

Alone in the kitchen with her, Jason looked at Helga's somber expression. "So, how was dinner last night?"

"Pttss...what do you think?" she scoffed, leaning back with her arms crossed.

"It doesn't sound like it went well." he replied, sitting down beside her with the burgers.

"Ya think?" she scowed.

"I take it you didn't go through with your plan to make them hit on you?" he assumed hesitantly.

"Hey! You and Mark were the ones who said to be careful about it." she scowled, pointing a finger at him.

"You're right, and I'm not saying you should have done it. It would have been irresponsible." he agreed.

"Then what are you wasting your time pitying us for?" she scoffed.

While Jason was giving a concerned look, Arnold returned to the kitchen. "He's always happy to have someone cook for him."

"I'm happy to help." Jason replied, while the the of them sat down to eat the remains of the meal.

Helga picked at her food as Arnold tried to keep it in his mouth. "I guess I can never call you a sloppy eater again Helga." he laughed, seeing her roll her eyes at him.

Once dinner was finished, the three of them headed for home.

Arnold held Helga's hand, happy to have shared another fun evening learning something new with her. Helga walked with him, nervously thinking about the next few weeks, and the way things seemed to be bouncing back and forth between everybody.

When they made it home, Arnold watched Helga set her things down and sadly approach the bedroom. Seeing her lay down with a troubled look on her face, he asked "Is everything okay?"

"Oh everything's just perfect! I mean, it's not like we ran into your lame-o 'has the hot's for me' cousin, who now seems to be being lead on by the girl of the guy who may still have the hot's for me and who may also take advantage of the opportunity to sue us just to get his hands on me! Sheesh!" she scowled, sitting up to look at him.

Arnold looked at her with sad eyes, understanding the pain as well as the fear she was feeling.

"I'm sorry Helga. All we can do is wait."

"Yeah well, all I can do is stay angry then!" she scowled.

"Look Helga, what he did to you was awful that day, but you still hit him. He's not going to let that go." he reminded her, knowing he was approaching dangerous territory.

Cocking her brow, she replied "Are you saying I shouldn't have defended us? That I should have let him feel me up and make fun of you?"

"Of course not! I'm just saying, he's obviously not the type of person to let something go in one ear and out the other. That being the case, we can't make things worse for ourselves by pushing them." he explained, watching her throw her face into her hands, falling back on the pillow.

Running his fingers through her hair, he said "I'm sorry for getting my hopes up even for a second that one of them would touch us. Just the thought of them near you tears me up inside." he assured her, leaning down beside her.

"Well, you did a pretty good job of hiding it when he was wiping my face." she smiled, feeling him run his hands up her shirt.

"You have no idea how that made me feel." he whispered, pressing his nose against hers.

Feeling him rub her breasts, she shut her eyes as he placed his lips against hers. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she felt him begin to rub her nipples. A moan released that put a smile on his face. Feeling her tongue slip away from his, he whispered "I'm so sorry I let him touch you."


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Nobody Cares

The next morning, Arnold awoke knowing he'd be spending the day trying to talk some sense into Arnie. While he laid there a moment pondering his thoughts, he heard a sigh release from Helga. Looking over in her direction, he saw her with her arms folded at her side with her hair hanging in her face and a small smile stretched across it.

Arnold began running his fingers through her hair, thinking to himself _All I want is to be happily married to her. Why is everyone trying to pull us apart?_

After a moment of stroking her hair, Helga opened her eyes to see her beloved smiling down at her.

"Good morning sweetie. How are you feeling?"

"Eh not bad. What about you?" she asked, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"I'm okay. I was just thinking about what my family will think when I tell them Arnie will be visiting the boarding house today." Arnold said softly.

"Pttss...If they're smart, they won't let him in!" she scoffed.

"That means he has to come over here." Arnold winked.

"No, that means you have to live at the homeless shelter with him!" she scowled, giving him a demanding look.

"Whatever you say Helga." he sighed, giving her a soft kiss.

After a moment of laying there, thinking about what the day would be like, the two of them got up and dressed. When heading for the kitchen, Arnold said "Why don't we go over to the boarding house for breakfast? I'm going to need to tell them about Arnie anyway."

Cocking her brow at him, she replied "So first we're going to steal their food, then thank them by dropping a bombshell like that on them? Pttss...whatever!"

Rolling his eyes at her witty remark, he waved for her to follow him out the door. The two walked hand in hand to the boarding house.

"Although I much rather prefer having someone hand me food, this cooking thing hasn't been so bad." Helga admitted, trying to make conversation.

Scratching his head, Arnold replied "That's because you haven't actually been cooking. You've just been reading me the instructions."

Glaring harshly at him, she scowled "Hey! You got those recipes memorized, headboy?!"

"No, but it's not like I couldn't just glance over at it myself." he laughed.

"Shut up football head, or I'll make sure you're the one Amanda goes after!" she threatened.

"How? By asking Matt to do you a favor?" he winked.

A moment or two later, they made it to the boarding house. Helga knew to step out of the way of the door each time, although it still blew her mind they possessed that many pets.

The two of them then stepped into the dining room to see the family eating pancakes and toast. "Hi everyone." Arnold greeted them, while Helga simply stood there.

"Hey shortman! How goes it?" Phil asked.

"Well, Helga and I were wondering if we could join you for breakfast?' Arnold blushed as Stella said "Of course you can sweetie!"

"Pull up a chair you two!" Miles insisted, while they did exactly that.

After a few minutes, the family noticed how quiet Arnold was being and how politely Helga was eating.

"Something wrong shortman?" Phil wondered.

"Actually, I have something to talk to you about." Arnold said, taking a deep breath.

"If it's about the way that pork you kids made messes with your stomach, I figured that out the hard way." Phil replied.

"Actually, it's about Arnie." Arnold sighed, while all eyes turned to him.

"What about him sweetie?" Stella asked.

Scratching his head, Arnold asked "Did you guys know he was back in town?"

"No one told ME the gates of hell had been opened!" Phil exclaimed, while Miles rolled his eyes at his father's dramatic response.

"No son, no one said anything to us about it."

"Well, apparently he's coming to town once a month for therapy sessions." Arnold began to explain.

"His family really thinks that's frequent enough to fix the amount of issues he has?" Phil asked.

"Pttss...tell me about it!" Helga exclaimed, crossing her arms.

"Apparently. Instead of going back to live with them after his session, he got a job as assistant manager at the Hillwood Homeless Shelter." Arnold explained.

Phil raised an eyebrow while Stella tried to show some empathy. "Well, as long as he's happy."

"That's the thing though. A big part of why he's doing it is because he thinks Amanda loves him again...or for the first time." Arnold began rubbing his neck while Helga muttered to herself "Oh brother!"

"That kids a lost cause to think anyone would ever love him." Phil replied, receiving a glare from his father.

"Have you talked to him about this sweetie?" Stella asked, showing some concern.

"The reason we came over this morning was to tell you I told him to meet me here today. I'm going to try to straighten things out with him." Arnold insisted, while Phil nearly flew out of his chair.

"The kid's coming here?! I didn't see anything on the schedule about this?!"

"Grandpa. It's just for an hour or two. Then he and I will both leave." Arnold insisted, while receiving a suspicious look from his grandpa.

"Hmm...alright. Tell the little weirdo to keep his distance though!" Phil exclaimed.

"Uhh right grandpa." Arnold sighed, while noticing Helga had begun to get her appetite back.

A few moments later, the family was finished with breakfast and Helga was licking her plate.

"There's the Gertie I remember you marrying, shortman! Hehe!" Phil laughed, while Helga tried hiding her flushed cheeks. Arnold wrapped his arm around her, knowing it wasn't easy dealing with his grandpa's teasing. "Grandpa!"

"Oh lighten up shortman. So, I take it she gets to spend her Sunday doing something fun. Meaning anything that doesn't involve that weirdo relative of yours?" Phil pointed out.

"Uhh I guess so." Arnold replied, turning to face Helga. He hadn't considered asking what her plans were for the day.

"Do you have plans for the day Helga?" Arnold asked, seeing her shrug her shoulders.

"Pttss...not unless you consider counting down the hours until the end of summer and these nightmarish lawsuit practice plans." she scowled.

"Counting huh? You're starting to sound like Arnie. Kid better not be contagious!" Phil exclaimed, while Helga began to glare at Phil for making such a harsh comparison.

Arnold noticed the angry look in her eyes, as he said "Why don't you see what Phoebe is up to? The two of you can do something while I talk to Arnie."

Rolling her eyes, she stood up from the table. "Fine. You better come through for us though hairboy!"

"You better come through for all of us! No one wants that creep around!" Phill added, seeing Miles once again roll his eyes.

As Helga marched towards the door, she opened it to find someone in her face.

"Snort. Hey Helga."

With wide eyes she scowled "Crimity! Ever heard of knocking?!"

"Snort. I thought I might be too early." he snorted, while seeing her roll her eyes.

"How considerate of you. Now get out of my way!" she scowled, marching down the steps.

Hearing the commotion at the door, Arnold walked over to find his cousin waiting there for him.

"Oh hey Arnie, come on in."

"Snort. Okay."

Arnold took Arnie into the living room, knowing there was no longer any furniture in his attic bedroom.

"So, how are you Arnie?" Arnold asked, trying to get things started smoothly.

"Snort. Okay. Snort. I had gum for breakfast." Arnie said, receiving an annoyed look from his cousin.

"That's uhh nice. Anyway, the reason I wanted to talk to you was because I don't know if dating Amanda again is the smartest idea." Arnold warned him.

"Snort. How do you know?" Arnie asked, sitting in the chair across from him.

"Well, do you not remember what happened last year when you went out with her?"

"Snort. She told me yesterday you made her look bad because you love her. Snort. You're just too scared to tell Helga the truth." Arnie replied, seeing Arnold's face drop.

"What are you talking about?!" he shouted, not knowing which flaw to point out first in that accusation.

"Snort. You were just using me to keep her around. Snort. You just couldn't tell Helga how you felt." Arnie replied, while Arnold threw his face into his hands.

Taking a deep breath, he asked "Arnie, if you really believed that, why are you hanging out with her? You said yourself she admitted to you last year she was using YOU to get to ME. I wasn't using you to keep HER around?!"

Not changing his facial expression, Arnie replied "Snort. So what do I do?"

One thing that would never change about Arnold was the guilt he felt if he knew there was a chance he could be standing in the way of another person's happiness.

"Well, is Amanda the only reason you're living at the H.H.S. again?"

"Snort. I guess."

"Wouldn't you want to move back home then?" Arnold asked, hoping not to pressure him into doing something he didn't want to.

"Snort. No one cares about me. Snort. That's why they sent me to therapy."

Arnold's eyes widened as he replied "Uhh what? Did they actually say that?"

"Snort. They said it was my fault we almost lost the farm. Snort. I was always counting crops instead of picking them. Snort. Feeding animals gum instead of the food they needed. Snort. Sprinkling lint on the crops rather than watering them." Arnie explained, while Arnold sat there bewildered.

Placing a hand on his shoulder, Arnold replied "People care about you Arnie. Your parents do too. If not, they wouldn't have sent you to get professional help."

"Snort. It's been four days and I haven't heard from them. Snort. They must not care that much."

"Well, have you tried calling them?" Arnold asked, hoping to solve the problem.

"Snort. No, I don't have a cellphone."

Rolling his eyes, Arnold sighed "Yeah...that's probably why you haven't heard from them."

"Snort. Oh."

After a moment of silence, Arnold suggested "How about this? If you want to keep working at the H.H.S. that's fine. You have to stay away from Amanda and Helga though. Amanda is dangerous and Helga...she just needs her space."

"Snort. Okay."

"I'm going to talk to my parents about getting in touch with your parents so they don't worry about you. Sometime this week, we can get you a cellphone." Arnold said, feeling he may be getting things straightened out.

"Snort. Okay. Can it be gray and pink? Like lint and gum?" Arnie asked, while Arnold rolled his eyes. "Uhh sure. We'll worry about that later."

"Snort. Okay. See you later." Arnie said, leaving the living room, while Arnold headed for the kitchen.

Meanwhile, Helga had been taking a stroll around the park with Phoebe. "So, how do you feel things are proceeding Helga?"

"Pttss...every which way but up! I mean crimity! In the past few weeks I've had three guys I've had to worry about having feelings for me. Not to mention a possible lawsuit on top of it all being held together by my unstable mind thanks to a ludicrous dream caused by an illegal beverage. Sheesh!" she scowled.

"You and Arnold do love each other though. As long as that's true, it doesn't matter what troubles are thrown your way." Phoebe reminded Helga, while her head continued spinning.

"Yeah, I guess so. I just feel like the world is against our marriage. I mean, did we rub someone the wrong way or something? Sheesh!" she scoffed, placing a hand on her hip.

"Of course not Helga. Marriage is as difficult as it is rewarding. You're working to make things right for two people. While the task is more challenging, the success of it is twice as rewarding." Phoebe pointed out, seeing her best friend smile.

While Helga was letting this sink in, Arnold was explaining what was going on with Arnie to his parents.

"So, he hasn't contacted them in four days?" Stella asked.

"Apparently not." Arnold replied, shaking his head.

"Are his parents not worried?" Miles wondered.

"Think about the last time that weirdo was here. He disappeared for a week in between when he went back to see them and they supposedly sent him back to us. Ya didn't hear us getting any phone calls to check up on him. Can't say I'd bother though if I was that kid's dad." Phil replied.

Rolling his eyes, Arnold said "I'm going to get him a cellphone this week. In the meantime I told him to stay away from Amanda. If you guys wouldn't mind contacting his parents, that would be good. He seems to think they don't care about him."

"Kid might be smarter than he looks." Phil smirked.

"Uhh right grandpa. I should get going." Arnold waved, heading out the door.

"See ya shortman!" Phil exclaimed, watching his grandson leave.

On Arnold's way home, he wondered if he should just go ahead and buy Arnie's cell phone. He also didn't want to be alone when he asked the salesperson for a lint and bubble gum colored phone.

Walking down the street, he heard "Free the animals! Free the animals!" Arnold turned his head to see Curly banging on the window of the pet store.

Staring at his eccentric former classmate, he thought to himself _Not that it matters anymore, but Curly may know where Helga's ring is. Seeing as how he was the one who slipped us all those memory erasers._

A moment later Arnold crossed the street to find out if his friend had any information on it. "Hey Curly. How's it going?" he asked, not caring about interrupting his protesting.

Whipping his head around, Curly snapped "Not good! Have you seen the way they treat these animals?! These poor caged creatures?!"

Rolling his eyes, Arnold replied "Uhhh I think they're actually given pretty decent homes. Anyway, since I saw you, I thought I'd ask, did you see what happened to Helga's ring at my party?"

Raising an eyebrow, Curly asked "Ring? What ring?"

Standing there thinking to himself _What does he mean what ring?_ Arnold went on to explain "Her wedding ring. She lost it the night of the party. A friend told us someone she knew ended up keeping it when he saw her at the arcade."

"Arcade? I didn't go to the arcade after the party? I went to the zoo! Every time I free the animals, they refill the cages! Those people must be stopped! HAHAHA!" Curly laughed loudly, making Arnold's eyes widen.

"Uhh yeah. Thanks anyway Curly." Arnold replied, slowly backing away from him.

Turning the corner, Arnold bumped into a familiar face. "Ouch! Arnold! I mean...watch here you're going football head! Sheesh!"

"Shall we make klutz your nickname Helga?" Arnold laughed, helping her up.

"Oh don't flatter yourself! Did you fix things with that lamebrain relative of yours?" she scoffed.

"Kind of." Arnold said, rubbing his neck, while Helga began to cock her brow.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"How about we go out to eat tonight? I think we've had enough cooking practice for awhile." he suggested.

Rolling her eyes, she replied "Fine, be lazy. Those recipes weren't too impressive anyway."

"Whatever you say Helga." he sighed.

After a moment of silence, Arnold couldn't help but remind her of something. "You know, it is Sunday."

"Yeah, that's normally the day of the week a new week begins with." she smirked.

Rolling his eyes at her witty remark, he replied "I meant, we were going to try to have dinner at your family's house on Sunday's."

Glaring at him, she replied "Yeah...YOU were. One little flaw in your plan however."

"What's that?" he asked.

"You never did ask them about doing that, last time we were there." she pointed out proudly.

"Well, we could still call and ask if it's okay couldn't we?" he wondered.

"Sheesh football head! What is it with you and wanting to keep in touch with uncanny relatives?" she scowled.

"Fine, we won't go. We have to eat something though?" he pointed out.

"Let's just grab a corndog over by the docks. If I get hungry later, there's still plenty of food at home thanks to my amazing grocery shopping skills." she smirked.

"Uhh if by skills, you mean eye and grab, then yeah." he laughed.

Eventually, they made it to the docks and were sitting on the edge of the pier, enjoying their food. Looking over at Elk Island, nearing the end of his corndog, Arnold heard Helga ask "So, what ended up happening with Arnie?"

"Well, I told him to stay away from Amanda because she's dangerous and you because you need your space." he began, seeing a sweet look in Helga's eyes that lasted only a moment.

"So, that's it? He's staying and you're just going to take his word that he'll be leaving us alone?" she asked, cocking her brow.

"He told me his parents blamed him for almost losing the farm, which is why they sent him to therapy." Arnold began, before being interrupted.

"Pttss...sounds like his parents are smarter than he is!"

Rolling his eyes, he replied "Arnie didn't bother to go home or contact his parents because he doesn't feel like anyone cares about him."

Feeling a hint of pity, Helga said "Well, how are we ever going to get rid of him then?"

"Look Helga, I really don't think Arnie is anything to worry about. Arnie told me Amanda said I was using him to get to her. Even though I told him last year she was using him to get to me." Arnold explained, while Helga tried holding back a laugh.

"Oh brother, what an idiot! So what's his plan of action now? Managing lint traps until the day he dies?" she scowled, while Arnold shrugged his shoulders.

"I guess. Whatever it is, I think Matt's more of an issue than he is. Arnie can't sue you."

"Even if he could, he's too stupid to know how." Helga scoffed.

"Uhh right. Anyway, we now know Amanda was just using Arnie and she and Matt were lying to us about their relationship at dinner. That being the case, we can't turn our backs for a second. If they do try something, like Gerald said, keep your fists to yourself." he said, winking at her.

"You can't make me keep my fists to myself football head. Old betsy and the five avengers can go wherever they want whenever they want!" she scowled.

"Not if they're being handcuffed for committing assault." Arnold pointed out, seeing her roll her eyes at him.

"Yeah, yeah, tell it to... our hopefully nonexistent judge." she said wittingly, while hearing him sigh "Whatever you say Helga."

The two then got up to head back to the apartment. Passing the pet shop again, Arnold couldn't help but tell Helga about his run in with Curly.

"I saw Curly eyeing the animals earlier today."

"Are you sure he wasn't just pretending to be one of them?" she scoffed.

"Possibly, I didn't stay long to talk to him." he admitted.

"I wouldn't have talked to him period...I would have punched his lights out for switching our drinks." she said, rolling her eyes.

"Maybe that's why he's always acting so strange. He makes himself 'interesting' drinks." Arnold laughed.

"Oh brother!" Helga sighed.

The two then made it home, entering their quiet apartment. "Well, another fun week of work starts tomorrow." Arnold said, seeing Helga cock her brow.

"I think you mean another stressful week of lawsuit planning." she sneered.

"Hey, I was just being sarcastic like you." he laughed, while she began to roll her eyes.

"Pttss...please! Let's just get some sleep."

As the two made it for the bedroom, Helga wasted no time, changing out of her clothes and slipping under the covers.

Once Arnold was ready to slide in beside her, he saw her snuggled up in her sleeping position.

"How about making your nickname snuggles?" he suggested.

"Why would I want it to be that?" she asked, sitting up.

"Because of the sleeping position you're always in. Snuggled up with your hands by your face and your knees pulled up to your chest." he laughed, moving the hair out of her face.

"Oh zip it hairboy!" she scoffed, not affecting the smile on his face.

Kissing her softly on the lips, he said "Good night sweetie. Sweet dreams."


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24: I Don't Need Your Help

"Hey Arnold! Hey Arnold! Hey Arnold!"

After waking up to this familiar noise, Arnold rolled over to shut it off. Looking back over at Helga, he thought to himself _I hate to have to wake her up._

Gently shaking her, he said "Helga, it's time to get up." Once she finally began to stir, she said "I'll let Matt send me to jail if it means I get to sleep as late as I want."

Rolling his eyes, Arnold replied "Well, until he comes after us, you'll have to postpone that plan."

"Spoil sport." she yawned, sitting up to stretch her arms.

After a moment of rubbing their eyes, the two of them stood up to grab their clothes. "So, what fun activity do you think Bliss has set up for you to practice in her practice today football head?"

Maybe it was the fact that Helga was now wearing business suits as opposed to jeans in the morning, but Arnold had learned to dress as quickly as her. Watching her put her jacket on, he replied "We're starting Group Counseling today."

After slipping her shoes on and having a moment to think about it, she replied "So, you'll be talking to all the freaks from last week at the same time?"

Arnold paused for a moment to think about what that would be like. Hilda, Gerard, Fifi, Harry, and Arnie all in the same room discussing their issues.

"Uhh...yeah I guess so." he said, rubbing his neck.

"Pttss...enjoy that!" she scoffed, heading into the kitchen with her husband following behind her.

Grabbing her cereal from the fridge and a bowl from the cabinet, Helga sat at the table wondering how work would go for her. No sooner had she sat down, she heard Arnold ask "So, what do you think you and Mark will be discussing today?"

Shoving the cereal into her mouth, she replied "Data compilation and entry...whatever the heck that is." she scoffed.

Smiling at her reaction, he replied "Whatever it is, I'm sure it will be useful for us."

"Maybe, I'm just sick of this crap! I'm more anxious to get through this summer than I was to get through those eight months of wedding planning. What a year this has been! Sheesh!" she scowled, pushing her cereal aside.

Reaching across the table for her hand, Arnold said "I know what you mean Helga. I'd be lying if I said the past year has been perfect for me. When we married each other though, we both vowed to make each other's problems our own problems. I'll never leave you alone no matter how out of hand things get."

Sending a weak smile his way, she sighed "Alright football head. Good luck with your freaky friends."

Standing up to hug her goodbye, Arnold replied "Have fun with your Data comp..compila..comp?

Rolling her eyes, she corrected him. "Data compilation. Sheesh!"

A few minutes after seeing her leave, Arnold headed out where he saw Jason waiting for him.

"Good morning Arnold! Ready to start our week of group counseling?" Jason asked anxiously.

Still thinking about Helga's words this morning, he realized Arnie probably wouldn't be there. He was only scheduled to come in for therapy once a month.

"I guess so. After seeing the different personalities all my patients so far have had I'm not sure what to expect." Arnold admitted, rubbing his neck.

Smiling at him, Jason replied "This is actually supposed to be a healthy exercise. The whole point of therapy is giving people a comfortable environment to vent their feelings. If they're in a group of people they already know are there to do the same thing however, it won't make them feel so insecure about expressing their feelings in public."

While Arnold was processing this information, Helga was walking into Mark's office. "Hey Mark, how's it going?"

Mark turned to see Helga entering with an un-amused look on her face. "Good morning Helga. Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, I'm just ready for the summer to be over. It sucks not being able to fast forward time when you've had enough of something." she scoffed.

Smiling at her, he replied "I understand things are tough right now, but just hang in there. Jason told me dinner didn't go well for you and Arnold on Friday."

Crossing her arms, she leaned back in her chair and scowled "Pttss...ya got that right!"

"What exactly happened, if you don't mind my asking?' Mark asked, feeling he had the right to know.

Leaning forward in her chair, Helga sighed. "Well, I told you Arnold and I were tempted to just let one of them hit on us then press charges on their butts." she began, while watching him nodd.

"Turned out, their plan was to make us believe they were going out, and we had nothing to worry about. Then the night ends with Matt reaching across the table to wipe my face, like he was my boyfriend and had feelings for me." she went on, while Mark look concerned.

"So, are they together?

"I'm assuming not. Arnold and I caught Amanda frenching Arnold's lunatic cousin the next day. Don't get me started on that guy!"

"It sounds like they were just trying to get you and Arnold to let your guards down." Mark thought out loud, while Helga forgot who she was speaking to for a moment. 'Well doi!"

Understanding the stress she was under, he replied "I don't know who Arnie is, but you may want to warn him they are just using him. That's what it sounds like at least."

"Way ahead of you on that one! Arnold talked to the freakazoid yesterday. I won't say he set him straight. I don't know if that's humanly possible. He knows now though not to go near her. If he really knows what's best for himself, he won't come near me either." Helga couldn't help but add.

"Why do you say that?" Mark asked.

"The guy has hit on me more times than I can count!" she scowled, seeing the concerned look in Mark's eyes.

"If Arnie wasn't your husband's relative, I'd encourage you to press charges against Arnie." Mark said, while Helga's eyes widened at the thought.

 _What good would that do me? It's not going to make Matt leave me alone. All it would do is cause more drama between Arnold and I._

"Believe me, I would love to. I would never do that to Arnold though." she sighed, looking down at her wedding ring.

Meanwhile, Arnold was sitting in the group counseling room, watching his patients walk in. Each one took a seat in the chairs set up for them.

"Hello everyone. How was your weekend?" Arnold asked, looking at them one by one.

"Pttss...nothing worth bragging about." Hilda scoffed.

"I got the best deal on a new plaid shirt!" Harry exclaimed.

"I wreckin' it wasn't too bad." Fifi shrugged her shoulders.

"Is this a pop quiz?! AHH!" Gerard held his head tight.

Rolling his eyes, Arnold replied "No, I was just asking how your weekend went. Now a healthy exercise in this type of therapy is to discuss one topic and see how it affects each person differently. We'll start with depression."

Crossing her arms, leaning back in her chair, Hilda smirked "I live with a family that pays me no attention unless they need an extra set of hands for something. What makes you think I'm depressed?"

"Well, perhaps if you dressed more appropriately they'd pay attention to you! Black t-shirts and tennis shoes? I'm sorry, but who's attention are you trying to grab?" Harry replied.

"I wreckin' it'd be nice if I could do better in school. I never had any natural abilities for anything though." Fifi said, scratching her head.

"Change? About myself? UHH?" Gerard paused nervously, while Hilda continued to watch with her arms crossed.

Meanwhile, Mark was teaching Helga about data compilation and entry. "So, I basically just use this method to collect any information worth using. For instance, anything I feel I could use to blackmail Matt and Amanda with."

Sending a weak smile her way, Mark replied "Maybe. I wouldn't recommend spreading word around that's what you use this method for however.

"Pttss..Who are you, my husband?!" she scowled.

While leaning back in her chair, processing this theory, Arnold was using all his strength not to lean forward in his with his face in his hands.

"I wreckin' you could take your family to the arcade Hilda?" Fifi suggested, immediately receiving a glare.

"The arcade? What middle aged couple decides to kill the afternoon playing video games with their unwanted child? Sheesh!" she scowled, nearly swinging herself out of her chair.

Finally feeling the need to interrupt, Arnold sighed "Hilda, she's just trying to help. This is a safe environment where everyone should feel comfortable sharing information."

Knowing if Hilda was as much like Helga as she seemed to be, her insecurity issue wouldn't be solved in the next five minutes.

"Well everyone. We'll pick up where we left off tomorrow. Have a good night." Arnold said, watching them all leave.

As he was watching them walk out the door, Helga was getting ready to walk out as well. "Well, thanks for the tech lesson. Guess I'll see ya tomorrow." she said, standing to grab her things.

"Take care. Don't try to push things." Mark warned her.

Helga didn't like being given orders, even if it was just friendly advice.

"What do you mean push things?" she asked.

"You may have just been joking about blackmailing him, but in this type of situation, it really is best to lay low as possible. By that I mean, keep to your own business. If they continue to confront you, continue to refrain from giving them another opportunity to go after you." Mark explained, while she rolled her eyes at his lecture.

"Yeah, I gotcha. See ya tomorrow."

Helga then left the office to see Arnold heading in the opposite direction of the apartment. Heading towards him anxiously, she asked "Hey football head, where ya heading?"

"Oh hey Helga. I was going to pick up Arnie to take him to get a phone." Arnold smiled, while a disgusted look came to Helga's face.

"Why do you need him to get it? That idiot doesn't know anymore about cellphones than Bob did when we were kids?" she smirked.

Rolling his eyes, he sighed "Yeah, I guess you're right. You want to come with me?"

"Okay, I'm not going with you to the homeless shelter though." she warned him.

Grabbing her hand, he smiled "I'm never letting you go back there."

Doing her best not to blush, she smirked "Why? Because you suck at climbing trees."

"Whatever you say Helga." he sighed, continuing to hold her hand all the way to the phone store.

Standing outside the store, Helga cocked her brow at the name of the store. "Ring A DIng Ding!"

"Uhh Where in the heck did you bring us?" she asked, regretting offering to come.

"It's a phone store; let's go inside." he insisted, pulling her in behind him.

Standing there listening to the goofy ringtones played by other customers, looking at the kid like designs painted on the walls, and surrounded by freaks entertained by items such as these, she said to Arnold "Forget the homeless shelter. Why not just bring your cousin to work here?"

Paying no attention to her negative remark, Arnold walked up to the counter for help. "Excuse me."

"Yes sir, what can I do for you?" the salesman said.

"We're looking for a phone for my cousin." Arnold informed him, while Helga interrupted.

"Pttss...what do you mean WE?!"

"What kind of phone is he interested in?" the salesman asked, while Helga stood there thinking to herself.

 _What does it matter? It's not like the idiot could figure out how it works!_

"Uhh he just said he wants one that's pink and gray." Arnold said, rubbing the back of his neck, while Helga slapped her face.

"Hmm...well most of the phones are gray. How about you go pick out a pink case for him over there." the salesman suggested, while Arnold gave a weak smile.

He and Helga headed towards the cases, noticing the different designs; hearts, roses, stuffed animals.

"Oh brother, would you look at this? One with a pink eraser on it?! Crimity!" she scowled.

They continued checking out the cases until Arnold finally found one he knew Arnie would like. "I think this is the one Helga.

Helga placed her hand on her waist as she picked up the case to look at what he had chosen. "Pink gum…..Yep, he'll love it. Let's go." she smirked.

Rolling his eyes at her wittiness, the two took the items to the register.

"Did you find everything you need?" the salesman asked.

Arnold placed the items on the counter, saying to the salesman "I believe so. Thanks for your help!"

After being rung up, the salesman said "Come back and see us soon!"

Arnold waved goodbye, while Helga walked out thinking _Pttss...yeah, I don't think so!_

"I'm assuming you're going to take those jaw dropping items to that eyesore cousin of yours now?" Helga asked, while crossing her arms.

Smiling at her, he replied "Nah, it can wait until tomorrow. I told my parents to contact his and let them know where he disappeared to...again.

"So, they care enough to be told about where he is, just not enough to come looking for him?" she asked, cocking her brow.

"Uhh I guess." Arnold replied, rubbing his neck.

 _Guess I'm not the only one with a messed up family._ Helga thought to herself.

Not long after that, she and Arnold made it back to the apartment.

The two of them wasted no time going to change out of their business clothes. "So, how was work with your dream versions of our friends today football head?"

"Well, today we did group therapy." he said, walking into the kitchen.

"Pttss...you and all those freaky classmates together in one room trying to work out their issues. What was that like?" she scoffed.

"Not too bad I guess?' he admitted, trying to be optimistic.

Rolling her eyes, grabbing herself a soda, she replied "Not TOO bad means nothing but bad."

"Whatever you say Helga." he sighed. "So are you hungry?"

Leaning against the counter, taking a sip of her drink, she replied "I guess so. What's the next thing on that list of his?"

Picking up the list, Arnold replied "Fritatas

"Aren't you sick of eggs?" she smirked while seeing him blush.

"I guess so. Although I can't believe you still eat cereal as much as you do."

"Oh shut it football head!" she scowled with her hands on her hips.

"Maybe we could think of something that's not on here. You said yourself all we need is the internet and your impressive management skills." he gazed at her with his half lidded eyes while seeing her roll hers at him.

"Whatever. What is it you want?"

"How about making some nachos? A frittata is like a mexican dish anyway." he suggested nervously.

"Fine. I'll print the instructions." she sighed. Before doing so, she couldn't help but notice the smile hadn't left Arnold's face.

"What is up with that goofy facial expression of yours?"

"I was just wondering how messy you'll be when you're done eating them." he laughed.

"Zip it hairboy!" she scowled, walking over to the computer.

Seeing her head that way, he laughed, "You know, I really don't think we need help for this. I mean, it's just melted cheese and vegetables on top of some chips."

"Fine Mr. Know It All! You make them; I'll be in the living room." she scowled.

After a few moments of putting together his easy dish, Arnold brought in the food with some napkins.

"Crimity football head! You think you brought enough napkins?" she scowled.

Leaning in with an enticing look, he replied "It's never too late to accept help from someone."

Helga's mind drew back to her dream she had told Arnold about when they were still engaged. Knowing then he was messing with her, she snatched the napkin, glaring at him. "I don't need your help with anything!"

"Not cooking, wiping your face, a place to live…" he went on, as she stuffed her food into her face.

"When I get a promotion, you are so going to pay!" she scowled, with a mouth full of food.

"How, by moving from children's psychology to adult's psychology? People like you who obviously need it more anyway." he laughed.

Seeing she had cleared her plate much quicker than he had, he took her plate to the sink for her. "No need to thank me for helping you there either." he laughed.

Rolling her eyes at his teasing, she sat on the couch with her arms crossed and a frown on her face.

Coming over with a wide grin on his face, he wrapped his arm around her. "When I see you like this, all I can picture is what our kid will be like. 'Daddy! Mommy won't let me have what I want!" he laughed.

Pointing at herself, she replied "So, you're making ME out to be the bad parent? Pttss...figures!"

Putting his hand on her face, he said softly "I would never think that about you."

Resting her head on his, she heard him ask "What would you want to name our kid if we had one?"

Her eyes widened with fear, not wanting to think about that so early. "Uhh as long as it's not Olga, I really don't care."

Laughing at her remark, he replied "Would you like the name Hilda?"

Picking her head up to look at him, she asked "Is that your way of saying you like my twin more than me?"

Rolling his eyes, he replied "No, I could never love anyone more than you. I just thought it would be a good name because she reminds me of you. Most people choose a family member's name for their kid anyway."

"I guess you're right. Just stay the heck away from my family's names." she warned him.

"Whatever you say Helga." he sighed.

Kissing her softly on the lips, holding her face in his hands, he whispered "We'll just start our own family."

Her lips began to quiver as she said "Uhh let's get some sleep first."

Taking her hand, the two went to the bedroom, both with different ideas of what the future had in store for them.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25: Which Would You Prefer?

The next morning, the two awoke already knowing what to expect at work.

Rubbing his eyes, Arnold shook his not so easy to budge wife. "Let's get up Helga." he continued until she turned to face him. "Can't you get those patients of yours to go in for me? Maybe they could scare off Matt with their annoying troubles." she smirked.

Smiling at her comment, he replied "In a way, you just insulted yourself. Like I said, you and Hilda have a lot in common."

Hearing this remark was enough to make Helga shoot up from the covers. "Are you comparing me to one of your needy patients?"

"You did therapy?" he reminded her, raising an eyebrow as they got out of bed.

"Pttss...yeah, thanks to you and your hypnotizing attitude." she scoffed.

"Whatever you say Helga." he sighed, as the two got up and dressed.

After getting ready, they headed for the kitchen for breakfast.

"So, what will it be today? Cereal, cereal, or let me think...cereal?" he teased her, watching her grab the box.

Tempted to throw it at him, she scowled "Hey! It's cheap, like you. It's easy, like you. It tastes good…" she began, trying not to blush.

Walking over to her, holding his arms around her waist, he smiled "Like me."

Kissing her passionately, he put his hand behind her head. Pulling her in closer, sucking her tongue, pressing their parts, he thought to himself _I can't let anyone take her away from me!_

While Arnold was getting lost in the moment, Helga was beginning to realize how long this had gone one for. Pulling away from him, she said "Mark's going to be wondering where I am soon."

Although he knew she only meant work wise, he didn't like the sound of that. Sighing at her, he replied "You're right. See you later."

After kissing her one last time, he watched her head out the door. Standing there staring at it, he thought to himself _We have to win this case!_

A few moments later, Arnold made it outside to see Jason waiting for him.

Good morning Arnold! How was your night?" he asked anxiously.

"Uhh not bad. I went to the store with Helga to get my cousin a new cellphone." he explained, while seeing Jason smile.

"That was nice of you. Did he go with you?"

"No, if he had I'm sure Helga wouldn't have joined us." Arnold admitted.

Nodding his head, Jason replied "That's true. I remember how uncomfortable he made her the night we spent together at the homeless shelter."

Arnold just couldn't get a handle on his jealousy knowing the mixed feelings all these people in their lives had for Helga. Jason had spent the night with her and was teaching her to cook. Mark was working with her and was with her the night she lost her ring. Arnie had tried to steal her so many times, it put their relationship in a very delicate situation whenever he was around.

After noticing the quiet mood Arnold had gone into, Jason asked "Is everything okay?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, I was just thinking about work. My group didn't have the easiest time getting along yesterday." Arnold replied.

Understanding his problem, Jason explained "That's not uncommon. Sharing your feelings in front of strangers can be just as difficult as it can familiar ones. Either way, you feel like you're being judged."

While they were continuing their walk to the medical center, Helga was walking into Mark's office. "Hey Mark, how's it going?"

"Good morning Helga. How have you been?"

Sitting down, she replied "Eh not terrible. We haven't run into the three muskateers again; Snorter, Suer, and Swinger." she said wittingly, while Mark tried holding back his laughter.

"Well that's good. I hope you know if and when you do, part of your data complimentary training would be to write down any new information pertaining to the event. Even if it is just the day and the fact that you saw them." Mark informed her.

Sitting back with her arms crossed, Helga sighed "Yeah, yeah I gotcha! Crimity! I'm tempted to just throw whatever I've got at him now and be done with this torture!"

"You're almost there. Just keep hanging in there." he encouraged her, seeing a weak smile come from her.

Meanwhile, Arnold was sitting in his class with his patients. "So, how are all of you today?"

"No different than yesterday." Hilda scoffed.

"I found the best shoes at Hillwood Shopping Center!" Harry exclaimed.

"I wreckin' things aren't too bad." Fifi scratched her head.

"Awful! I didn't study for this lecture!" Gerard exclaimed.

Rolling his eyes, Arnold turned his attention to Hilda. "So Hilda, did you do anything fun yesterday?"

Crossing her arms, she replied "What business is it of yours?"

"Well, this is therapy. The whole point is for you to feel comfortable opening up to people." he explained, hearing her sigh.

"Uhh fine! I sat at home writing and reading to kill the afternoon! There happy?!" she scowled.

Smiling at her, Arnold heard Harry say "Writing? Why not just stay at school all afternoon?"

Turning his attention towards Harry, Arnold replied "Writing is actually a healthy exercise and a fun way to spend your time."

"I wreckin' I'm not too good at it. At least my teachers don't seem to think so." Fifi admitted.

"That's okay Fifi. Just because they don't like how you write, doesn't mean you can't still do it for fun." he insisted.

While Arnold was encouraging his patients, Helga was heading for the office door. "Well, see ya tomorrow."

Stopping her, Mark said "By the way, I would recommend frequent check ins with your witness about the fight. You never know how easily someone could forget something like that."

Rolling her eyes, she replied "Yeah, especially someone like him!"

After leaving the office, Helga marched down the steps of City Hall, feeling she had finally gotten the hang of how heels worked. _These things aren't so bad!_

Leaving the building, she saw Arnold once again headed in that direction. _Football head's probably taking that weirdo phone to his even weirder cousin. Sheesh!_

Not having any desire to join him, she headed for the apartment. Helga made it home, tempted to make herself some cereal since breakfast had been interrupted that morning.

 _Football head was right, maybe I should lay off the cereal. Of course I'll never admit that to HIM!_

She then headed to the computer to look up something easy to make that wasn't on Jason's list. Sitting in front of it, she saw a tab was already open. _What's this?_

While Helga was looking over something unexpected on the computer, Arnold was making his way inside the homeless shelter.

Walking up to the receptionist at the front desk, he said "Hi, I'm here to see Arnie."

The receptionist passed off a weird look that screamed _Why would you want to see him?_

"He's in the laundry room. Down the hall and to the right." the lady pointed.

"Thanks!" he smiled, making his way there.

When Arnold arrived, he saw Arnie cleaning out the lint traps, standing beside a pile of lint as big as his head.

"Uhh hey Arnie. How's it going?" Arnold asked, freaked out by the lint ball.

"Snort. Fine. Snort. Where's Helga?" he asked.

Rolling his eyes, Arnold replied "At work. Here's your phone. I put your parents' number in it. It's under speed dial, so all you have to do is click on their name."

"Snort. Okay. Snort. When's Helga going to visit?" Arnie asked, looking at his new phone.

Clenching his fist, Arnold replied "Arnie, remember what I said about staying away from her?"

"Snort. Yeah. Snort. That doesn't mean she can't come to me."

Widening his eyes, Arnold replied "Uhh I really don't see that happening."

"Snort. How do you know?" Arnie asked.

Throwing his face into his hands, Arnold sighed "Because she hates you!"

Not meaning to be so blunt, Arnold was speechless at his own words. Before apologizing, he heard Arnie say…

"Snort. Oh. Snort. Can I have her number?"

After seeing there was no getting through to him, Arnold left, having faith Helga would never leave him. Finally his optimism was returning.

Making it back home, Arnold saw Helga sitting on the couch in front of the tv.

Sitting down beside her, with his arm wrapped around her, he couldn't believe she wasn't startled by not hearing him come in. _Does she even know I'm sitting next to her?_

He then reached for the remote to turn off the tv, seeing her shake her head "Arnold?! I mean, stop creeping up on me!"

"I'll try. I don't know if that's possible with your bad hearing though." he said wittingly.

Rolling her eyes, she asked "So, how'd helicopter head enjoy his gift?"

Thinking back to his conversation with Arnie, Arnold began to rub his neck. "Uhh I think he liked it. He didn't jump for joy or anything."

"Pttss...does he ever about anything?" she smirked.

Taking her hand in his, he laid his head against hers. "I guess not."

Feeling his closeness, she thought back to what she had seen on the computer. "Tell me something, what was this on the computer?"

Holding a sheet she printed out, he began to blush. "Oh, I was just looking at the different types of ways to…"

Cocking her brow, she replied "Knock me up with whatever kind of kid we want."

Sighing at her, he said "I wasn't planning on it happening now."

"It better not! We've got too much to worry about!" she exclaimed.

"I know that Helga. I was just having fun. I wouldn't do that to you before you were ready." he assured her, taking her hand again.

Looking over at the sheet, she replied "Guess you'll be getting your Hilda when we decide the time is right. This thing says the way to have a girl is snacking on chocolate."

Pulling her in to kiss her passionately, he thought about how sweet she tasted without a dessert smeared all over her mouth. Reaching down to pull off her pants, they heard a beep.

As she began to pull away from him, he wrapped his arms around her, with hers at her side. Laying on top of her with his tongue around hers, not caring about who was trying to reach them.

All he was thinking about was the family he hoped they would be starting together someday. Rubbing their parts together, he heard the phone beep again.

Arnold could sense Helga's eyes opening and her trying to say something. All this did was make him want to find a way to ignore the diversion. Sighing at the noise, he began to rub her harder. After deciding they both needed a breath, he slowly took his lips off hers.

"Are you worried one of your dream patients maybe trying to contact you?" Helga asked.

Resting his lips against her, giving her a soft smacking kiss after kiss he said "No. I just don't feel like moving."

Tilting his head, he pressed their noses together. Making it as though they were basically breathing the same air. Slipping his tongue into her mouth, searching for hers once again, he began to caress it. Hearing her begin to moan, he sucked tightly on her lips. Pushing his chest against hers until they were once again interrupted...beep!

Sitting up straight, Arnold clenched his fists. "My gosh! Can't they take a hint?"

Cocking her brow, Helga replied "Crimity football head, what's gotten into you?"

"I just don't feel like dealing with any drama right now. I already talked to Arnie earlier." he reminded her, hoping she would understand.

Sitting up straight, she watched him walk over to grab his phone. Seeing him roll his eyes, she asked "What is it now?"

"Uhh Arnie needs something. I don't know how he got my number? All I put in his phone was his parents number?"

"Crimity! That kid really is a stalker." Helga scowled.

Rubbing his neck, Arnold heard her ask "So what does he want? A food ingredient phone cover?"

Sitting down beside her on the couch, he handed her the phone to read the text messages.

"Snort. Can I have Helga's number now?"

"Snort. She can live with me since Amanda doesn't like me."

"Snort. Where is she now?"

Helga's eyes widened at the site of these words. It took all her strength not to throw Arnold's phone across the room.

Seeing this expression on her face, Arnold put his hands on her shoulders. "I promise I won't let him near you."

Rolling her eyes, she replied "Whatever. Let's just get something to eat. I'm starving!"

"How about I order some pizza?" he suggested, watching her shrug her shoulders.

"Eh whatever works. I just need something in my stomach."

Feeling him place his hand on it, she listened to him say "Someday there maybe something else to go along with it."

An hour later, the two of them were eating pizza, watching tv together.

Picking up the list of suggestions Arnold had found along with her slice of pizza, Helga said "If you really want that girl football head, I'd suggest switching from boxers to briefs."

Rolling his eyes at her, he replied "I'd be happy with whatever type of child we had."

Tossing the list, munching on her dinner, she asked "Really? Does that mean you've put any thought into a name for a boy? If you say Stinky, the marriage is over!"

"Well, my grandpa jokes a lot about how unbelievable it is that they named me after my mom's dad instead of him." he began scratching his head, while being interrupted

"Maybe your parents had a good judge of character."

"Anyway, if it's a boy, I thought we could name him Phil." Arnold said nervously.

Taking a sip of her soda, Helga shrugged her shoulders. "Eh, works for me. If it's a girl though, there's no way in hell we're naming it after your grandmother."

"Or your sister." he laughed.

"You got it bucko!" she scoffed.

Picking up the list, while watching her take her things to the kitchen, Arnold said "Maybe you believing you had Monkey Nucleosis as a kid was just your subconscious telling you to have a boy. You're supposed to eat bananas!" Arnold laughed, knowing he was just asking for a fist in his face.

After not receiving a response, he turned to see her standing behind the couch with her ribbon. "You want to find out what kind of kid our lifelong diets have planned for us to have?" she threatened.

Gulping at the change in her attitude about the topic, he stuttered "Uhhh I think we can save it for another night."

"Alright then. Zip it hairboy!" she scowled.

Arnold then got up to take his things to the kitchen. Both them having finished their pizza, they headed for the bedroom.

Slipping beside Helga under the covers, Arnold had to ask,"Is there one you would want more; a boy or a girl?"

Widening her eyes, she replied "Uhh I guess it doesn't matter. If I'm going to be the first female president, what more can I ask for from them?"

Rolling his eyes, he sighed "Whatever you say Helga. Sweet dreams."


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Empathy

The next morning, the two of them awoke, knowing they were halfway through the week. After Arnold's normal shaking routine of getting his wife to open her eyes, the two of them got up to grab their clothes.

Seeing the sour look on her face, he couldn't help but say "You might have been right about us not needing a kid. You're a big enough baby as it is in the morning."

Ready to throw something at him, she scowled "I never said we didn't need one, I just said it wasn't the right time to have one. Sheesh!"

Knowing she was right, he went over to hug her. "You're right. I won't bring it up anymore. At least I'll try not to." he smiled.

"Pttss...yeah right!" she scoffed.

Heading for the kitchen, Helga watched Arnold throw some pancakes in the microwave, while he watched her take a seat at the table. "Are you not eating?"

"I think I'll just grab a doughnut when I get to work. I don't feel like making myself anything." she sighed.

"Yeah, dealing with a bowl and a spoon. What a pain that is." he teased her.

Standing from the table, she scowled "I don't HAVE to give you a kid ya know!"

"We'll see about that." he said, winking at her.

"Whatever, I'm going to work." she sighed, walking out the door.

Arnold hated when she didn't care to say goodbye to him, but he knew she didn't mean anything by it.

After finishing his breakfast, he went down to find Jason. "Hey Jason. Ready for work?"

"You bet! How was your class yesterday?"

"Well, the kids don't seem to be afraid to share their thoughts. The only problem is they're always negative. I mean, I don't expect them to be full of self esteem, but they're not very supportive towards one another." Arnold explained.

"I know what you mean. Sometimes kids are mean or don't take the time to be empathetic just because they're covering up for their own insecurities."

Hearing these words made Arnold think about what he had told Patty about Helga in grade school. It was obvious Hilda was hiding her emotions. Perhaps some of the other kids were as well.

While thinking this through, Helga had stopped by the breakroom to grab herself a doughnut. Stuffing her face with a chocolate glazed one, she turned to see Mark walking in.

"Hey Mark. You come to grab a snack too?"

"I just needed some coffee. Have you spoken with your witness recently." he asked.

Rolling her eyes at the idea, she replied "No, I guess I can do that this afternoon. Crimity!"

Smiling at her remark, he said "It wouldn't be a bad idea. You have chocolate on your face."

Not thinking it was a big deal, he licked his finger to get it off for her.

Her eyes widened, thinking about what Matt did for her at dinner, and what Arnold's reaction would be if he knew about this.

"There, it's gone."

Trying not to shake, she replied "Uhh thanks."

"No problem. Should we go get started on today's agenda?" he asked, watching her nod her head.

While the two of them headed to his office, Arnold was sitting in his with a group of familiar faces. "How is everyone this morning?"

"What do you think?" Hilda scoffed.

"Looking great as always!" Harry exclaimed.

"Not too bad I wreckin" said Fifi.

"Uhh Okay. I think." Gerard guess.

While smiling at all of them, Arnold said "I thought we could try a new exercise."

"What kind of exercise? There isn't going to be running is there? I'm not good at running!" Gerard exclaimed.

"No, it's an empathy exercise." Arnold replied.

"Empathy? What in the heck's that?" Fifi wondered.

"It means putting yourself in another person's place so you can understand how they feel." Harry sighed, not excited about the exercise.

"So let's get started. Hilda why don't you listen to a problem of Fifi's and try coming up with a solution for it."

"Oh brother! What good will this do us?" she scowled.

Ignoring the remark, Arnold turned to Fifi "Go ahead and tell her something Fifi."

"Well, I wreckin' I don't do too well in English."

Rolling her eyes, Hilda scoffed "Go figure!"

"Hilda, to come up with a solution to the problem, you have to understand the frustration this must be putting Fifi through."

"I'm already frustrated! I'm stuck in a room with you people an hour a day, five days a week!" she scowled.

While Arnold was working with the kids, Helga could still feel the wet spot on her face from Mark's finger.

"If you don't have more new data on the case, the only thing we can do is contact your witness or start reviewing constituent services. I believe the mayor suggested saving that for next week. You're welcome to call your witness now if you like?"

Helga froze at the thought a moment. She would easily lose her patience with Harold. Was that something Mark should see?

"Uhh okay. I guess I could call him."

Handing her the phone, Mark said "I'll be right here listening."

Helga nervously dialed, thinking to herself _Pick up you idiot!_

Eventually, she heard "He...Hello?"

"Harold? It's Helga."

"Oh hey Helga."

"Listen, I'm just calling to keep in touch about the whole court scenario. You haven't forgotten about it have you?"

"Uhh I don't think so."

 _Crimity!_

"You still got that sheet of paper?"

"Yeah, it's in my backpack."

 _Yeah right!_

"Are you sure?"

"Hold on, I'll check."

 _Five minutes later_

"I've got it!"

"What does it say?"

"It says 'Urgent notice. Parental meeting required!'"

 _What an idiot!_

"That's not the note Harold."

"Okay then I don't have it."

 _I'm going to beat his face in!_

"Meet me outside of Slausens this afternoon."

"Okay."

Hanging up the phone, Mark noticed Helga clenching her fists. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, this guy just wasn't the best one of our friends to have seen witness the fight if you get my drift." she sighed, leaning against the desk.

"I understand. That's why it's best to keep in touch."

While Helga was doing a bit of self-loathing, Arnold was wrapping things up with his patients. "Well, I think that's all the time we have for today. See you next week. Practice as much empathy with others as you can. It doesn't just have to be in here."

"Pttss...yeah right!" Hilda scoffed.

After gathering his things and exiting the building, Arnold noticed Helga heading in the opposite direction of the apartment. Racing over to her, he was suddenly stopped by "Hey Arnold!"

Arnold turned to see Gerald waving at him. "Huh? Oh hey Gerald, how's it going?"

"Not bad. You set things straight with Amanda and Arnie?" Gerald asked, hoping to stay up to date.

"I told Arnie to stay away from Amanda and Helga. Telling him how dangerous Amanda was and that she has no interest in him just seemed to push him closer to Helga." Arnold sighed.

" .mmm! Arnold, what is with that kid? I mean I know Helga's special to you...in her own Helga type way...but what makes that kid think a fireball like her would go out with a gumball like him?" Gerald asked, crossing his arms.

Rolling his eyes at the remark, Arnold sighed "I don't know. All I know is, he's starting to bug me even more than he is Helga."

"Not to mention now that he knows Amanda was just using him, there's nothing to distract the two of them from hitting on you and your lady." Gerald pointed out.

Sighing deeply, Arnold replied "I gotta go. See ya Gerald."

"Later man." he replied, giving his best friend their secret handshake.

Looking back in the direction Arnold was heading before being interrupted, he saw Helga was no longer in sight. _Maybe I'll just go home and wait for her._

While Arnold was making his way home, Helga was approaching Slausens. There she saw Harold waiting for her. _Amazing! Pink boy actually remembered!_

"Hey Helga." Harold said, holding a Mr. Fudgey in his hand.

"Look Pink boy, you're the only chance Arnold and I have of keeping out of jail if those psychopath classmates of ours decide to go after us!" she scowled.

"I am?" Harold said, holding his popsicle while the chocolate dripped down his hands.

"YES! Now I have written you another note with the information pertaining to the fight you saw. I'd tell you to memorize it, but I know there's a fat chance of that happening! Find a safe place to keep it, or I'll make your face a safe place to keep my fist! Got it?!" she threatened him, while handing him the information.

"I uh think so." Harold said, taking the note with his sticky hands.

"Oh brother! See ya around Pink boy!" she scowled, heading for home.

Once she made it home, she saw Arnold sitting on the couch in front of the tv. Arnold turned his head to see her handing him a burger and soda.

"Uhh thanks. Didn't feel like cooking tonight either?" he laughed.

"I stopped to yell at Harold in front of Slausens. Figured I earned myself the right to some fast food." she said, shrugging her shoulders.

"I saw you heading in the opposite direction of the apartment. What were you talking to him about?"

Rolling her eyes, she replied "Mark insists we keep in touch with him. Not all witnesses remember the scene of the crime like it was yesterday. He must see a lot of Pink boys in his practices!"

"So, you went to make sure Harold still remembered everything. Did he?" Arnold asked.

Helga cocked her brow, while shoving her burger into her mouth. "What do you think hairboy?!"

"Even after we wrote the information down for him?" Arnold asked shockingly.

"Arnold, the guy's an idiot. He believed shaving cream was whipped cream. What makes it so hard to believe he would lose an important piece of paper?" she scowled, shoving the last of her burger into her mouth.

"I guess that's true. What did you do?" he asked, expecting the worst.

"Wrote it down again and threatened to punch his lights out if he kept losing it." she said calmly, knowing it wasn't unusual to act that way.

Rolling his eyes at her behavior, he replied "Well, nothing too serious has happened yet. I don't think we have much to worry about."

Crossing her arms, she replied "Except your lame-o cousin now text-stalking me! Sheesh!"

Wrapping his arm around her, he sighed "Don't remind me."

"Don't blame me. You're the one who got him the phone." she reminded him.

"His parents needed to know where he was?" Arnold said defensively.

"Why do you always have to make everyone's problems your problems?" she said, looking up at him.

"Because it was one of my wedding vows." he smiled, rubbing her face.

"Yeah, to ME not HIM!" she glared.

As he continued to stare at her, he said "You've got some food on your face."

Helga's mind immediately flashed back to that morning when Mark wiped her face for her.

Before letting Arnold touch her, she replied "That's okay, I can get it."

Raising an eyebrow, he replied 'What's wrong?"

Leaning over the couch, rubbing her arm, she replied "Uhh it's just that..."

Listening to her gulp, Arnold asked "What? Tell me."

"This morning, Mark noticed some chocolate on my face after I finished my doughnut. Instead of telling me, he licked his finger and wiped it off for me. What is it with you men and insisting on taking care of that for women? I mean, all you gotta do is say 'You got something there. Have a napkin!' Sheesh!" she scowled.

Arnold didn't like hearing about this, but just knowing Helga wasn't happy about it brought relief to his heart. Leaning her head against his chest, he said "We need to get you a bib."

Sitting back up to glare at him, she scowled "You're not the cleanest guy I've ever met either!"

Raising an eyebrow, he asked "What are you talking about?"

"I don't see you standing at the sink, doing the dishes every night!" she scoffed, watching him roll his eyes at her. "I don't see you doing them either."

The two then took their debate to the bedroom, deciding they'd been in their work clothes long enough.

Laying on the bed together, Arnold asked "What do you think our kids will look like?"

Rolling her eyes, Helga replied "Crimity! Not this again. Aren't you rushing into things?"

Propping his head up, facing in her direction, he replied "We can fantasize about it. It doesn't have to happen anytime soon."

Shrugging her shoulders, she replied "I guess. I don't know what they'd look like. They better not have your head when I go into labor!"

"I can't promise anything." he smiled, winking at her.

"Whatever. I'm resting my eyes. If I'm lucky, I'll forget about Harold ever touching me when I wake up." she sneered.

"Alright sweetie." he replied, kissing her softly on the lips.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27: Baby Palooza

Arnold was ready for the next morning. After Helga had decided to take a nap the previous evening, she didn't exactly wake up from it. This gave him time to be alone with his thoughts.

"Helga, it's time to wake up." he said, shaking her heavily. After a moment or two, she rolled over. "Crimity! When I become president, I'm passing a law that no one has to get up before they're ready."

"I don't know how well the country would hold together if we had that rule Helga." Arnold said, scratching his head.

"Must you ruin things with your know it all attitude?" she scowled, tossing aside the covers.

"Apparently so." he laughed, knowing she would never be a morning person.

Walking into the kitchen, Arnold saw her reaching for her favorite cereal. "Do you need a napkin to go with it. It's sprinkled with sugar and we wouldn't want the wrong hands on your mouth." he winked, hoping to stir her up.

"Zip it football head! You just worry about your lame easy bake pancakes." she scowled.

"You're right. They're so lame, they taste like the real thing!" he laughed, seeing her roll her eyes.

After cramming a few handfuls of cereal into her mouth, she said "I'm off to work. Have fun with your dreamland friends."

Stopping her before she walked out, he grabbed her to give her a long lingering kiss. Releasing her lips, he said softly "I love you. I have a surprise when you get home."

"Is it that you've adopted a kid?" she smirked.

"You'll just have to wait and see." he smiled, kissing her softly once more.

A few minutes after she left, Arnold went downstairs to find Jason. "Hey Arnold. The week's almost over!"

"Yeah. To be honest, I'm kind of relieved. Like I said, my group hasn't been the most positive bunch." he said, scratching his head.

"I know what you mean. Negativity is a huge part, if not the whole reason for, therapy however. It's about helping people overcome their struggles in life. Some people take in the advice and overcome their problems right away. Others are just more difficult to reach."

Arnold knew exactly what Jason meant by that. All his life, and up to this day he struggled with getting Helga to be comfortable opening up to him about everything, no matter the size of the problem.

Meanwhile, Helga was walking into her office to see what Mark had planned for the day. "Hey Mark, what's up?" she asked.

"Good morning Helga, how are you this morning?"

"Not bad I suppose." she said, taking a seat across from him.

"Did you get in touch with your witness like we discussed yesterday?" he asked.

Rolling her eyes at Harold's face coming to her mind, she replied "Yeah, I spoke with him. If he knows what's good for him, he won't forget about it again."

Not realizing how that must have sounded, Mark had to ask "What do you mean, if he knows what's good for him?"

Helga's eyes widened, while she began to yank at her collar. "Oh, well I just meant if we end up needing him, it will be good for him to remember all these things ahead of time. Just like you said. Hehe."

Nodding his head, he asked "Has anything new come up this week that you would consider to be worth listing as an event in your files?"

After thinking a moment, she replied "The only news about those three problem creators I told you about was when Arnold's lame cousin Arnie decided to text him and insist on getting me to go live with him. The guy just won't take a hint! Sheesh!"

"Has he made you feel threatened in any way?" Mark wondered.

"Whether or not he has, he's too stupid to act on it. That's the only thing that's changed since dinner with Matt and Amanda though." she sighed.

While the two of them were wondering if this was anything to be concerned about, Arnold was sitting with his group of patients. "So, did everyone think about what I told you about practicing empathy?"

"I feel sorry for myself for having to be here. How does that work for you?" Hilda scowled.

"I can't tell you how terrible it made me feel to have to see a guy walking around in a pair of worn out jeans." Harry said, shaking his head.

"I wreckin' I felt bad seeing a kid drop his ice cream cone he'd gotten from the Jolly Olly man." Fifi said, scratching her head.

"I felt bad seeing a kid have to stay late after class. Then I was worried if I did anything to make it happen? I'm still trying to figure it out?" Gerard thought nervously, while Hilda slapped her face

"Oh crimity! Would you get ahold of yourself?!"

Ignoring her comment, Arnold replied "Okay, did any of you try to help the people you felt sorry for?"

"Trust me, if I knew how to get myself out of this mess, I'd have done it weeks ago!" Hilda assured him.

"I walked over to the boy and told him he was way behind on the times. Then suggested he read a copy of preteen's latest fashion magazine." Harry said.

"I wanted to get the kid another ice cream, but I don't have much change in my piggy bank." Fifi admitted.

"I wasn't sure if what happened was my fault or not, so I just stood outside in the hallway until he got to leave. It was only an hour." Gerard informed them.

"Uhh well at least you're all trying to improve yourselves." Arnold sighed, knowing Hilda wasn't making an attempt.

"Well, I guess you all can go. Keep working on it and we'll have one more meeting like this tomorrow." Arnold reminded them, as they all headed out.

While Arnold was wrapping things up at the medical center, Helga was completing her files with the additional information she'd received on Arnie that week.

"I don't think you have anything to worry about, but it never hurts to stay on top of things." Mark assured her.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Well, see you tomorrow." she replied, heading out the door.

Once she made it back to the apartment, she saw Arnold sitting at the computer. "Okay football head, where's my surprise?"

"Nice to see you too sweetie." he said wittingly, walking over to hug her.

Rolling her eyes, she said "I think the fact that I choose to come back here day after day implies it's nice to see you."

"Whatever you say Helga." he sighed, kissing her.

"So what's my surprise?" she asked impatiently, while he kept his arms wrapped around her.

Gazing at her with his weak eyes, he replied "Let's go change first."

After going into the bedroom and changing out of their unenjoyable business clothes, Arnold told Helga to clothes her eyes.

"Are you about to tie me up?" she asked suspiciously.

"Not this time. Hold out your hand." he laughed.

When she opened it, he had placed a card in her hand that said "Baby-Palooza"

"What the heck is this?" she asked, cocking her brow.

Sitting beside her on the bed, he explained "After you passed out last night, I went into the living room. I thought about how neither of us knows which type of baby we'd prefer."

"Well it's not like we're five years too young for that anyway." she smirked.

"I thought it would be fun just to play a game that would let us see what we end up with." he blushed.

"Uh huh? And how do you plan on us doing that without having to buy a pregnancy test?" she scoffed.

"I went to the grocery store after reading over the list I gave you last night. If you roll an even number, it's a girl and you get one of these treats. If you roll an odd number, it's a boy and you get one of these treats. Whichever treats are gone first is the gender you end up with." he explained, while receiving an unamused look from her.

"I would hardly consider celery and beans treats Arnoldo! Sheesh! What exactly are you going to be doing, while I'm eating this stuff?"

"Rolling the dice. It's my turn to be the manager of something." he said smiling.

Rolling her eyes, she scoffed "Fine, go get the freakin' groceries!"

Racing back with his grocery bag, he replied "I got the ones that wouldn't have to worry about being refrigerated."

"Pttss...what do you want? A metal?" she scoffed.

Placing the food in its separate stacks, he said "For a boy, here's bananas, apples, apricots, chips, pretzels, popcorn, and a soda.

Looking down at her stomach, Helga said "We'll have a talk about the apricots Phil. Other than that, we're on the same page."

Smiling at her, he laid out more food. "For a girl, here's an orange, spinach, almonds, nuts, berries, and chocolate. If you're good, you'll get a glass of milk to go with it."

"Man, no wonder Hilda's in such a bad mood all the time! The only good thing on here is the chocolate! Sheesh!"

Arnold anxiously reached for the dice. "Let's get started."

"Fine, but if I throw up, you're cleaning it!" she scowled.

"I'm willing to take that risk." he smiled, watching the dice roll across the bed.

"Five!" Arnold shouted, while Helga took a look at her food selection. "Hmmm… those chips look good."

Hearing her crunch on the snack, Arnold once again rolled the dice "Three!"

"I'm happy with my chips for now." Helga said with a mouth full.

"You're not supposed to eat the whole bag." he sighed, watching her roll her eyes.

"Oh fine! Gimme those pretzels!" she scowled.

Rolling it again, they saw "One!"

"Man! Phil must really like what's out here!" Helga sait wittingly, grabbing a handful of popcorn.

Rolling the dice again, they saw it was a two. "Come to momma chocolate!"

"You know you have to pick something different if another even number comes up?" Arnold warned her.

"Make me football head!" she scowled, pointing the candy at him.

The next number to appear was a four. "Crimity! Gimme the orange I guess. Why don't you put those management skills of yours to use and grab that fancy vegetable peeler we got for the wedding."

Running it to her, he saw she had decided anyway to try to peel it with her teeth. "Having much luck with that?" he asked.

"Oh shut up and hand over the peeler!" she scowled.

Before finishing her first bite of the juicy treat, Arnold rolled a six.

"Guess Hilda was getting jealous." Arnold smiled, patting her stomach.

"I guess so. Hand her some nuts...and I don't mean yours." she smirked.

"Whatever you say Helga." he sighed, handing over the not so coveted treat.

After taking a handful, Helga looked down at her stomach and said "Alright Phil! I don't like what's left of this feminine recipe! Wake up!"

Rolling the dice again, they saw it was another two. "Crimity! You're not even born yet and you're already disobeying me?! Hand over the spinach hairboy!"

"I think you're making Hilda feel unwanted and neglected." Arnold said, placing his hand on Helga's stomach. Rubbing it back and forth, while she unhappily ate her green treat, he listened to her say "I think she'll survive."

Arnold again rolled the dice to see a four. By that point Helga was used to eating things she didn't enjoy. "Almonds or berries? They both seem poisonous to me."

Handing her the berries, Arnold said "You liked those blueberry muffins my grandma made when we still lived at the boarding house."

"Who are you? Mr. 411?" she asked wittingly.

Choking them down, she looked at her stomach and said "You've both let me down. I'm eating however the heck I want when I'm pregnant whether you like it or not!"

Shaking his head at her, he rolled the dice to see a four. "How shocking." Helga said wittingly.

Reaching for the almonds, Arnold stopped her to replace it with the chocolate. Watching her enjoy her treat, he winked "I'm so happy we know what we're having."


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28: Ice Cream

Friday at last came and Arnold seemed to be having just as hard of a time getting going as Helga. After hearing his alarm go off, he decided to set his head back down a moment. Wrapping his arm around his peacefully sleeping wife, he thought to himself _I wonder if group counseling will run anymore smoothly today?_

A moment later, Helga began to slowly open her eyes, while feeling someone run their fingers through her hair. Turning around, she saw her husband smiling softly at her. "Morning sweetie."

Cocking her brow, she replied "You're not shaking me uncontrollably? Are you ill?" she scoffed.

Leaning over to gently press his lips against hers, he replied "I hate having to wake you up in the morning. You're so cute. Should that be your nickname? Cutie Pie?" he winked, seeing her roll her eyes.

"Should black eye be your nickname?" she said wittingly, holding her fist to his face.

"Whatever you say Helga." he sighed, throwing the covers off them both.

After the two of them got dressed, Helga followed Arnold into the kitchen. "So, got anymore candy?"

Raising an eyebrow at her, he replied "You really want candy for breakfast?"

Rolling her eyes at him, she scowled "Hello! I eat sugary cereal and doughnuts for breakfast, oh I don't know...every morning! Sheesh!"

"That's no way to treat Phil and Hilda." Arnold laughed, grabbing a waffle out of the freezer.

"You're right. It's how to treat myself." she scoffed, once again grabbing the cereal.

Staring at her with the box in her hand, Arnold said "Ya know, I'm shocked you weren't more help to us when Gerald and I needed to win that telescope."

"What do you mean MORE help? I did plenty for you losers!" she scowled, pointing the box at him.

"I believe you suggested dumping the cereal in the garbage. Some employee of the month you'd make." he couldn't help but laugh.

Watching her glare at her cereal, not receiving a witty comeback, he decided to break the silence. "So, nothing new has happened in the last few days. Do you think Mark will have anything for you to do?"

Shrugging her shoulders, continuing to stare at her bowl, she replied "Who knows? If I'm lucky I'll walk in there and hear him say to me "Matt's behind bars for marriage disruption."

"Uhh If they haven't arrested him yet for feeling you up, I don't think they'll take him in for annoy you." Arnold pointed out to her.

Taking her bowl to the sink, she scoffed "You think you're optimistic, but that know it all attitude of yours is really more of a put down."

"Whatever you say Helga."

"Well, I'm leaving. If I'm lucky he won't ask about Pink boy again until Matt actually threatens to sue us. I know I'll just end up having to write the info down for him again." she sighed.

Standing up to hug her, Arnold said "We're half way through this! Just keep your head up."

"Yeah, yeah. See ya after work." she said, heading out the door.

A few moments later, Arnold headed outside to where he always found Jason waiting for him. "Good morning Arnold! Ready for our last day of group counseling?"

"Yeah. I don't know how good a job I did reaching my patients, but at least they had someone to talk to. It was also good practice for me." he admitted.

Nodding his head, Jason replied "That's very true! You also have to keep in mind very few patients have their problems worked out immediately. There are some who continue to come just because they know they'll ALWAYS need someone to hear them out."

Listening to this made Arnold think of how lonely Helga was as a child. No one other than Phoebe ever knew what was going through her mind, or the struggles she faced at home. How lost would she have been without a friend like Phoebe?

Meanwhile, Helga was walking into Mark's office. Before saying anything to him, Mark heard her entering and was ready to greet her. "Good morning Helga!"

Taking a seat near his desk, she replied "Hey Mark, how's it going?"

"It's Friday. The end of another week, which I know is sure to make many people happy." he replied, receiving a weak smile from her.

"Pttss...ya got that right!" she scoffed, leaning back in her chair. "So, what exactly did you have in mind for today?"

Motiong for her to come to the computer, he replied "We're half way through your training. Although it's unfortunate you're having to deal with this case, it's helped you review everything you'll need to know for your job in many ways. Being half way through the steps, I feel you should take the day to record all the information about Matt, Amanda, and Arnie you've learned since the summer started."

"Crimity! How long is this going to take?" she asked, rubbing her eyes.

"Well, you'll want to record all the places you've seen each of them, the days and times the events took place, what was occuring during them, and why this could be useful. At least, what could this information lead to?" Mark explained, while watching her take a deep breath.

While Helga was gathering her thoughts, Arnold was watching his patients gather in their seats.

"Hello everyone. Today is our last group meeting." Arnold informed them.

"Pttss...I'll try to hold back the tears." Hilda said wittingly, while crossing her arms.

"I don't know how much you are all practicing your empathy exercises, but it really is good training." Arnold assured them, mainly wanting to reach Hilda.

"I wreckin' I'm getting the hang of it. I felt bad when I saw a kid didn't have the money to see Death Kill Stories, so I gave him some money." Fifi said, scratching her head.

Rolling her eyes at the country girl's ignorance, Hilda replied "Oh brother! The reason the kid couldn't get in was because it was a rated R movie. You encouraged the kid to see a film with extreme violence and sexual moments. Idiot!" Hilda scowled, while Arnold turned to glare at her.

"Don't worry about it Fifi. It's the thought that counts."

"Doesn't sound like much thought was put into it to me. Unlike with my empathetic gesture. I lent a pair of my outdated shoes to a homeless guy." Harry said proudly, while Hilda butted in.

"Two things! One, how is that thoughtful if they're outdated? Two, why are you only lending them to him if you care that they're outdated?" Hilda insisted on knowing, as Harry turned his nose up at her.

Arnold sighed, knowing he wasn't getting far with them. "What about you Gerard? Did you try anything empathetic?"

Sitting up with wide eyes, Gerard began to shake. "Me? Uhh...I decided to read in the dark in my room the last three hours I was awake so I wouldn't waste electricity. I know my parents don't like wasting money."

Raising an eyebrow, Arnold replied "That was uhh thoughtful of you."

As Arnold was gathering his thoughts about how his patients had spent their week, Helga was doing the same. "Okay, so Arnold and I have seen Arnie at the homeless shelter, Slausens, and the boarding house. We've seen Matt at the Corner Store and Chez Pierre, and we've seen Amanda at Chez Pierre, Slausens, and just wandering around town." Helga read outloud to Mark.

"Matt and Amanda, you might as well say, hit on us at Chez Pierre. Arnie's been bugging me to go out with him since grade school."

Giving her a concerned look, Mark replied "If this has been going on that long, you really should keep a watchful eye out when you're around Arnie. Has he ever tried anything before?"

"The dweeb had the nerve to kiss me when I was laying on Arnold's bed with my eyes closed! Makes my stomach sick just thinking about it." she scowled.

"Have you thought about issuing a restraining order?" Mark couldn't help but wonder, while Helga's eyes grew at the thought.

"Uhh I've joked about it. I couldn't imagine the stress that would put on Arnold though." she admitted, looking away from him.

Smiling at her consideration for her husband's happiness, Mark replied "Well, it's just something to think about. If Arnold really cares for you, I'm sure seeing you deal with this isn't something he enjoys anymore than the thought of not seeing his cousin around."

After finishing her chart for all the information that would be needed to keep track of everything, Helga decided to head out.

"Well, thanks for everything. I guess I'll see you Monday." she waved, watching him get up from his seat.

"Enjoy your weekend. Next week we'll get started on constituent services." he informed her.

"Sounds good." _Whatever the heck that is!_ She thought to herself.

While Helga was heading out, Arnold was standing outside the medical center with Jason. "I'll see you at the boarding house tomorrow. That is, if you're still interested in your cooking lessons." Jason asked.

"Of course! Helga and I really appreciate the help you've given us." Arnold replied.

"Okay. She didn't seem too happy last time." Jason informed him.

"She's just stressed out about the case. We both are. It didn't exactly help that Matt tried to hit on her again at dinner." Arnold sighed, thinking about it.

"I'm sorry you're having to go through this. If he hasn't done anything to you yet though, it's probably just an empty threat." Jason assured him.

"Yeah, we can only hope." Arnold sighed once again. "Well, see you tomorrow."

"Have a good night." Jason replied, walking in the other direction.

Making it home, Arnold saw Helga reviewing a sheet of paper.

While she was sitting at the table going over it, she suddenly felt a set of arms wrapped around her neck.

"Arnold! Stop creeping up on me!" she scowled, still being wrapped up in his arms.

"Maybe you should just grow a set of eyes in the back of your head." he suggested, taking a seat beside her.

"Very funny!" she scoffed.

"What are you looking at?" he wondered, lifting an eyebrow.

Holding her head, she replied "Our data compilation entries about our stupid encounters with these ludicrous acquaintances of ours who just won't take a hint!" she scowled.

"Okay...I think I got most of that." he laughed, watching her roll her eyes.

"Shut up Arnoldo! This is your problem too." she insisted, as he nodded his head.

Reaching for her hand, he replied "Believe me, I know. I'm with you all the way."

Feeling a swoon coming on, she shook her head heavily. "Good! You better be!"

Helga remained focused on her paper of recently recorded facts about the event. So much so, she hadn't noticed her husband had been staring at her, rubbing her hand for five or ten minutes. Finally deciding to disrupt her thinking, Arnold said "I really enjoyed our game Helga."

Looking up from her sheet of facts, she replied "Of course you did, you weren't the one eating anything disgusting."

Scooting closer to her, he replied "I loved imagining you and I were actually having a baby. I can't wait for that day to come!"

Cocking her brow, she said "Arnold, we have way too much to worry about right now. I mean crimity! We've been married a little over a month and it feels like way over a decade thanks to all this crap people keep throwing at us! Sheesh!"

Seeing her push aside her work, he moved his chair beside her. Setting his hands on both her shoulders, he said "I know this was a terrible start for us Helga. Nothing's been easy these past few weeks. Next Friday is the fourth of July. How about we throw a party here?"

Cocking her brow once again, she smirked "Football head. Stop and think. A party is how this whole chain of disastrous events got started! What good will that do?"

Rubbing her shoulders, looking into her frustrated eyes, he said sympathetically "I just want to do something to make it up to you Helga. This summer is hard for both of us."

Rolling her eyes, she replied "Pttss...fine! If anyone brings alcohol, they're getting tossed on the street!"

"Whatever you say Helga." Arnold sighed, helping her up from the table.

Helga began searching the fridge for something sweet. Anything to cure the stress of her headache. "So, how was life with your dream buddies today hairboy?"

"I'm not sure how much progress we made. I told them to practice empathy, but I could tell Hilda wasn't taking it seriously. I think she pitied herself more than anything." Arnold explained, leaning against the counter.

"Well doi! Of course she pitied herself. She was stuck listening to a group of people blab about their problems. Therapy's bad enough as it is. Why would she want to spend it listening to another person's issues?" Helga scowled, grabbing the ice cream from the freezer.

"Group counseling is supposed to help people realize they're not alone with their problems though. There are others out their experiencing the same issues." Arnold explained while Helga dug into the ice cream.

"Pttss...Oh gimme a break!" she scoffed, while he watched her eat straight from the tub.

"So, can I get you a bowl for that, or are you just assuming no one else will want any of it?" he laughed, seeing the evil look forming on her face.

"Who said I'd be willing to share, football head?"

Wrapping his arms around her, he asked "Am I not all the ice cream you need?"

Widening her eyes, she wasn't sure how to answer that. "Uhh I guess in a way you are."

Returning her glare, he asked "What do you mean, you guess?"

"I mean no offense football head, but I don't see you burying your face in sweets every day like a normal person would." she smirked.

Rolling his eyes at her, he decided she'd had enough ice cream; at least that kind. Taking it away, he saw an offended look on her face. "Hey! What do you think you're doing?!"

Closing the freezer door, he replied "Showing you how sweet I already am."

Helga really did feel like a baby at that moment. Feeling the leftover chocolate circled around her lips, while watching her beloved move closer made her knees weaken. Her lips began to quiver, knowing what was about to happen.

Pressing his nose against hers, he held her face in his hands. Sensing her body shake uncontrollably, he asked "Are you okay?"

"I..I'm..just cold." she said softly.

"I told you to share." he winked, wiping his lips around hers. Licking the chocolate off around the edges of her mouth, he could hear a moan release from her.

Helga felt as though her knees were about to fall out from under her until they heard…

Ring...Ring...Ring…

Arnold slowly pulled his lips off hers to see who was nice enough to interrupt their intimate moment.

"Hello?"

"Snort. Hey."

"Arnie!"

"Snort. Yeah."

"How did you get this number?"

"Snort. When you didn't reply to my text, I called the boarding house and asked for your home number."

"Okay...did you ever talk to YOUR parents?"

"Snort. Yeah. They're fine with me staying here."

"Did you need something?"

"Snort. Can I talk to Helga?"

"Arnie, meet me at the boarding house Sunday."

"Snort. Okay."

"Goodbye Arnie."

Hanging up the phone, Arnold sat at the table, with his face in his hands.

Helga no longer feeling weak, asked "I'm guessing that was helicopter head?"

"I don't know what to do?! His parents don't care that he's here. I expected to run into him once in awhile. I didn't expect to receive non-stop calls from him."

Helga hated seeing Arnold upset as much as he hated seeing her upset. "Don't worry football head, we'll get through it. Let's just try not to worry about it anymore tonight. I'm tired."

Seeing her head for the bedroom, he asked "Don't you want me to make you some dinner?"

"I already had my dinner and dessert." she said winking at him.

"Whatever you say Helga." he smiled, following her in there.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29: Cloud 9

The next morning, Helga felt a set of wet lips around hers. When she opened her eyes, there was another set directly in front of hers. A warm breath that was released against her face sent chills throughout her body.

Releasing her lips, with his nose against hers, Arnold asked "Morning sweetie. How'd you sleep?"

Looking at him with tired eyes, she said "Eh, not bad. So what are we going to do today?"

Giving her another soft kiss, he replied "You must be hungry! You never ate last night."

"I had some ice cream. It got the job done." she smirked, seeing him roll his eyes at her.

"Whatever you say Helga."

After a moment of silence, Arnold asked "What if we invite Gerald and Phoebe to get breakfast with us? While we're out, we can talk about the party we're throwing next Friday."

Sitting up straight, she replied "Okay, sounds good. I'll text Pheebs and let her know we're going to that fancy bagel place."

"Okay, I'll do the same with Gerald. Make sure to keep an extra napkin nearby." he winked, knowing he was pushing his luck.

"Shut it hairboy! Even if I did need your help wiping my face, I think our friends' could handle witnessing that. Tall hairboy watched every one of our umm erotic meals last year." she pointed out, while noticing him try to hold back a laugh.

"He couldn't finish his lunch half the time because of it."

"So, that was his problem!" she scowled.

Rolling his eyes at her inability to let things go, the two grabbed their things and headed over to get some breakfast.

Holding hands out the door, Helga noticed Arnold becoming quiet. "Everything alright football head?"

Widening his eyes at her question, he said "Huh? Oh yeah, I was just thinking."

"Well doi! What was it about?" she scowled.

Rubbing his neck, he replied "When I said we should talk to Gerald and Phoebe about the party, it made me think about who all would be there." he began, seeing Helga cock her brow.

"That is how a party works. I believe it's called a guest list." she said wittingly.

Rolling his eyes, he continued. "I was worried Arnie might show up. He has my number now. I don't know which family member gave it to him. I'm worried they told him where we live."

Helga then began to squeeze Arnold's hand tightly. Filled with fury at the thought of Arnie showing up, she thought back to Mark's suggestion of issuing a restraining order. _Could that really work? He's too stupid to understand how one works? Which means he wouldn't honor it. Which means his butt would get thrown in jail and Arnold would have to live with the guilt. Crimity!_

Taking a deep breath, although still not having a pleasant look on her face, she replied "Well, we'll just have to wait and see."

Arnold couldn't believe what he was hearing. She was being so calm about the drama and chaos that was being created for them.

"Are you okay? I mean, you did hear everything I just said right?" he couldn't help but ask.

Rolling her eyes, she scoffed "Yes football head, I heard you! Unless you want me issuing a restraining order against him, there's not a whole lot we can do about it at the moment."

Before getting a chance to tell her exactly how he felt about what had just been said, he heard "Hey Arnold! What's up man?"

The two of them looked over to see Gerald and Phoebe waiting in front of Bigal's Cafe.

"Hey Gerald. How's it going?" he asked, while Helga gave her best friend a weak smile.

"Not bad. So, what's the latest news on your case with Matt?" Gerald asked, placing his hands on his hips.

Rubbing his neck, Arnold replied "We haven't seen them since dinner at Chez Pierre."

"Football head's lamebrain cousin hasn't been shy about making appearances though." Helga butted in.

" .mmm! Arnold, don't you think it might be time to do something drastic?

"Such as?" he asked, shrugging his shoulders.

"Let him hit on Helga! That way, you can sue for sexual harassment, and he'll be out of your hair." Gerald said proudly.

Arnold raised an eyebrow at Gerald for suggesting such a thing, while Helga began to clench her fists at the idea of Arnold's eccentric cousin touching her. "One, I'm afraid you're a few months too late as far as him hitting on me goes, Geraldo! Second, keep your 'loving' suggestions to yourself!" she scowled, heading into the cafe.

The group followed her inside, while taking a seat at a booth near the back of the restaurant.

"This place is quite nice. I don't believe I've been here before." Phoebe informed them.

"Arnoldo and I came one day when we skipped school together." Helga replied confidently. She then looked over to see Arnold placing his hand on hers. Remembering that first week they spent at school in a relationship made his heart grow warm.

"You two won't be doing that when the food gets here will you?" Gerald asked, seeing them roll their eyes at him.

Not taking his hand off Helga's, Arnold replied, "We actually wanted to talk to you about a party we'll be throwing next Friday for the fourth of July.

"Oh my! That sounds lovely." Phoebe couldn't help but comment.

Gerald crossed his arms, leaning back in his chair, similar to Helga when she was suspicious about something. "You do realize your last party didn't exactly lead to a stable first few weeks of marriage for you two?"

Pointing a finger in his direction, Helga scowled "Well maybe if you losers had paid closer attention to the drinks being served, we wouldn't have had to worry more about waking up with amnesia than migraines!"

"Whatever you say Helga. So, where's this party and who all is coming?" Gerald asked, not wanting to push Helga any further.

"We thought we could make it a housewarming party. You know, at the apartment." Arnold suggested, with a smile on his face.

"That sounds delightful." Phoebe replied, while Gerald's eyes lit up "A housewarming party? Man you better not let anyone bring any drinks! Can you imagine how mad your neighbors would be?"

Helga sat there thinking to herself _They never say anything when Arnold's putting the moves on me._

"I know it was irresponsible to drink at our last party. This time will be different." he began, before picking up Helga's engaged hand "and it will be special because no one will lose anything important to them."

Phoebe saw Helga's eyes lower into her dreamy heartfelt look that only Arnold could bring to them. Gerald too was familiar with it. He was more than willing to say something, but didn't want to receive a kick from Phoebe for ruining the moment, like he had in the cafeteria.

After turning back to look at them, Arnold asked "So, is there anything in particular you guys would like to do at the party?"

"No offense buddy, but the fourth of July is all about fireworks. I don't see how we could do that in your apartment." Gerald pointed out.

 _At least not those kinds_ Helga thought to herself, looking down at her ring.

"Well, why don't we have the party on the roof of the boarding house? It could be just like that geek party we through in fourth grade." Arnold suggested.

"Maybe we should still call it that. That way Princess won't show up." Helga smirked, seeing Arnold roll his eyes.

"Then whoever wants to come back to the apartment after the show is more than welcome to." Arnold replied, with an anxious expression forming on his face.

"Am I to assume the guest list will be the same as last time?" Phoebe couldn't help but ask, watching Helga roll her eyes.

"Actually Phoebe, we don't think it would be a good idea to invite Curly. You know how worked up he can get at events like that." Arnold pointed out.

"Tell me about it!" Gerald said, agreeing with his best friend.

"Also, I was thinking we could invite two new friends of ours; Jason and Mark. Jason's helped out a lot as far as cooking goes. I don't know where we'd be on the case if it wasn't for Mark." Arnold reminded them.

"I suppose they do deserve an invite." Phoebe said, nodding her head.

"Is this going to be like that wedding coordinator thing where you make me sit down with you for half an hour and call everyone up?" Gerald asked, glaring at Arnold.

"Unless you feel like knocking on everyone's doors. I don't think the invites would get to them in time if we just decided to mail them out?" Arnold said, shrugging his shoulders."

"Whatever you say Arnold." Gerald sighed.

After finishing their breakfast, the four of them left, wondering if it would be two early to start buying things for the party.

"I guess we don't need to start buying fireworks this early, huh?" Arnold asked, rubbing his neck.

"Pttss...not unless you plan on shooting them at those patients of yours." Helga scoffed.

"By the way, how is your new job proceeding Arnold." Phoebe wondered.

"It's not bad. I've met some interesting people." Arnold replied, not wanting to tell his friends about the strange similarities he had seen between them and the patients.

Helga wasn't afraid to imply it however, while giving him an evil grin. "Really? Just interesting? There's nothing more you can tell them about it?"

Raising an eyebrow at his best friend, Gerald asked "Is there something you left out?"

Arnold then gave Helga a look that implied how unnecessary that was of her. "They just remind me of all of you." he sighed.

Gerald gave a questioning look, as he replied "Me? What's that supposed to mean?"

Grinning even wider, Helga said "Go ahead Arnold, tell them about the dream you had."

Rolling his eyes at his wife's amusement from the situation, Arnold turned his head to see Phoebe and Gerald listening attentively. "When we were in fourth grade…" he began, until being interrupted.

"Fourth grade? Man I can barely remember my dreams from the night before. How long does your memory last?!" Gerald exclaimed.

"Anyway, that weekend I was supposed to visit Arnie, I dreamt when I saw him, he had all of you as friends. Only, you had switched personalities."

Gerald raised an eyebrow, while Phoebe appeared to be intrigued. "How so Arnold?"

"Well, Harold cared about fashion as opposed to Rhonda. Stinky was smart, rather than you Phoebe, Sid was cool, not you Gerald, and Lila wouldn't stop flirting with me." Arnold explained, while Gerald then turned his attention to the one person who had been left out of the story.

"What about Pataki? Did that trait swapping dream lead you to believe your reversed traits are what make you meant to be together?" Gerald couldn't help but say, while Helga began to clench her fists.

Arnold then rolled his eyes, replying "It was just a dream Gerald."

"Sounds more like a nightmare if Arnie was in it." he replied, shaking his head.

"Ya got that right!" Helga scoffed.

"So, your patients remind you of how we acted in the dream, as opposed to everyday life?" Phoebe asked, getting her facts straight.

Seeing Arnold nod, Gerald replied "Thank goodness! I was going to suggest therapy for him if he said the other way around."

Looking over at Helga, Arnold asked "So, what should we do for the rest of the day. Our cooking lesson with Jason won't be until this afternoon."

Shaking his head, Gerald once again felt the need to give his opinion "Man. I still can't believe you're doing that."

"What do you want us to do? Eat from the garbage?!" Helga scowled.

Sensing the tension building up between them, Phoebe decided to step in. "Would you care to see a movie? I don't believe an Evil Twin movie will be coming out any time soon."

Feeling a bit embarrassed suggesting it, Arnold replied "We could see Cloud 9?"

The group immediately turned to look at him, wondering if he realized how crazy he sounded. "Arnold, that is a chick flick!" Gerald exclaimed.

"Hey, you saw Matchmaker with us on Valentine's day." he protested.

"But did I enjoy it?" Gerald asked, crossing his arms.

After thinking a moment, Phoebe spoke up. "It could be just as enjoyable for the boys as it us for us. Romance movies are not just meant for women."

"Pttss...whatever, let's just go." Helga scoffed, grabbing Arnold's hand.

After making it to the theater and buying their tickets, the group went inside to buy their treats.

"Man, this movie better be worth blowing my Saturday afternoon." Helga said to her best friend.

"How has work been proceeding for you?" she asked.

"As good as it can be at this point. There's not much more I can do right now." Helga said, shrugging her shoulders.

The boys then returned with the drinks and snacks. "Ready to go?" Arnold asked.

No sooner had he said that, they turned around to see Matt standing beside them. "Hello Helga!"

Widening her eyes, she stepped back, nearly knocking the food out of Arnold's hands.

"What are you doing here?!" she couldn't help but scream.

"Amanda and I were supposed to see Cloud 9 together. She's busy with something else however. Guess it'll just be me." he said, grinning widely.

Arnold would have clenched his fists, had he not been holding onto a handful of snacks. Gerald saw the angry look in his friend's eyes, as he whispered "Relax man. She doesn't like him."

"Why don't we all sit together?!" Matt insisted, while Helga waited for Arnold to make the decision.

 _I can't let him touch her. Even if we did press sexual harrasment charges, he could still press assault charges._

Not receiving an answer, Helga finally spoke up. "I..I..guess you could."

Arnold's eyes widened, while seeing Matt's smile grow. "Great! Let's go!"

Gerald shook his head, while entering last with Arnold. "If you're not pressing charges, you better keep an eye on him."

Knowing he was right, Arnold then decided to shove Matt out of the way, before he had a chance to sit beside Helga. As the group sat in the row together, the seating arrangement turned out to be Gerald, Phoebe, Helga, Arnold, and Matt at the end. Just having to be there with Matt made Arnold think to himself _this is going to be a long movie!_

Although Arnold never noticed Matt reaching his hand over to grab anything from Helga's lap, he never sensed Matt taking his eyes off her throughout the entire movie.

When it finally ended, Matt met them outside to say "Well that was a nice movie. Maybe you two would like to join me for dinner?"

Arnold could feel Helga's sweaty palms, while seeing the petrified look in her eyes. "Thanks, but we've actually got somewhere we need to be." he replied.

"That's asham. Guess I'll see you later then." Matt said, sending Helga one more enticing look.

Gerald could see the angry look forming in Arnold's eyes, while Helga didn't even notice his firm grip on her hand.

" .mmm! Well, keep a watchful eye on him, because he sure seems to have one on you Pataki...for some reason." Gerald said, shaking his head.

"Whatever. We'll see you guys later. We have to meet Jason for our lesson." Arnold sighed, leading Helga to the boarding house.

Watching their two best friends walk away, Gerald turned to Phoebe. "You think Matt really likes Pataki, or is he just using her for something like Amanda did with Arnold's creepy cousin?"

Phoebe pondered the thought a moment, finally replying "From what I remember, Matt didn't like any girls in high school. I don't know who he would be needing Helga for to make jealous."

Once Helga and Arnold finished their silent walk to the boarding house, Arnold turned to say "I'm really sorry Helga."

Cocking her brow, she asked "For what?"

"For not refusing to let him sit with us. I was just afraid to rock the boat with him." he sighed, seeing her roll her eyes.

"Yeah, well like you said. We're half way through this...thanks for sitting by him." she said, smiling weakly.

While he was about to kiss her, they heard "Hey guys! Ready for another fun night of cooking?"

The two lovebirds quickly pulled away from each other to see Jason standing behind them with a bad of ingredients.

"Oh yeah. Come on in and we can get started." Arnold insisted, rubbing his neck.

Walking into the kitchen, Jason said "Since we didn't have the meat last time, I figured I'd stop at the store and just pick up everything we needed."

"That was nice of you!" Arnold exclaimed, while Helga rolled her eyes at his enthusiasm.

Setting everything on the table, Jason said "This recipes is as easy as the last one. First you'll want to preheat the oven to 350 degrees."

Arnold wasted no time doing so, while Helga rested her head in her hand on the table.

"Do you have a baking sheet to set the thighs on?" Jason asked, while Helga thought to herself _No, they cook on the floor!_

While Arnold grabbed the sheet, Jason said "I brought some garlic salt, onion salt, oregano, thyme, paprika, and pepper. Once it's done cooking, we can combine the ingredients to add to them."

 _What do you want? A metal!_ Helga thought to herself.

While the boys were getting things ready, Jason asked "Did anything exciting happen today?"

Helga's eyes widened, wondering if Arnold would tell him about Matt. She was going to have to mention it to Mark anyway.

"Well, we bumped into Matt at the theater." Arnold admitted, as he placed the chicken in the oven.

"Did anything bad happen?" Jason asked, looking over at Helga.

Before she could answer, Arnold replied "Nothing we could sue him for. Although, I can tell he's willing to drag this thing to the end."

"Mark and I are more than willing to help you. That is his job after all." Jason laughed, seeing a weak smile come to Helga's face. As stressful as this situation was, it was nice knowing she and Arnold had so many people who cared about them.

Once the food was ready, Jason placed it on the table. "I'm guessing your grandfather will want some?"

"I don't know. The sandwiches we made last week didn't sit right with his stomach."

"Pttss...does anything ever?" Helga scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"I guess I could go ask him." Arnold said, while Jason fixed everyone's plates.

Seeing the sad look on Helga's face, Jason sat beside her and said "I know things have been tough on you, but they're going to be better."

Rolling her eyes, she replied "Pttss...how do you figure?"

Placing his hand on hers, he replied "Because times were hard for me at the homeless shelter. All I had were my dreams. They didn't turn out 'exactly' how I imagined they would, but I'm much happier now than I used to be."

Only listening to his words, Helga looked up to smile at him. Arnold then raced back in to say "He's in the bathroom. Grandma must have made him watermelon for dinner. Which means we won't be seeing him the rest of the night."

Not hearing a response right away, Arnold looked down to see Jason with his hand on Helga's. His eyes widened, not sure of what to think.

 _Does he still have feelings for her, or is he just trying to comfort her?_

"Well, after we eat, we can put the rest in the fridge for them. That is, unless you two would like to take it home." Jason replied, taking his hand off Helga's.

"Eh, whatever works for Arnoldo over there." she shrugged her shoulders.

"Uhh sure." he said, sitting close to her, wrapping his arm around her.

Helga found it a bit odd he kept his around around her the entire time he ate. The whole day had been odd however, what with telling their friends' about his dream, running into Matt, and now sharing information about it with what she still wasn't sure to consider a close friend or not.

After dinner, Arnold decided to just bring the chicken home with them. It was also a toss up as to whether or not Helga would feel like cooking or order take out for dinner.

"Well, thanks for everything Jason." he said, waving goodbye to him.

"No problem, see you on Monday!"

While Arnold walked down the street carrying the food, he watched Helga stare at the sidewalk with her hands at her sides. All he wanted to do was race home and hold her. First Matt tried to touch her, then Jason DID touch her. Surely he didn't mean anything by it. That doesn't mean he enjoyed witnessing it however.

Once they made it back to the apartment, Arnold wasted no time putting away the food.

"Well, today was an interesting day. I think I'll head to bed." Helga said, stretching her arms.

No sooner had she said that, Arnold dragged her into the bedroom. Throwing her onto the bed, he heard her say "Sheesh football head, what's with you?"

Pulling off her pink t-shirt, along with his green one, he pressed her face against his firmly. Keeping one hand behind her head and her other hand in his, he rubbed it thinking to himself about both boys that day wanting to put THEIR hands on her.

As he began to suck her tongue more fiercely, her eyes flashed open when she felt something below.

They both knew what had just happened, but he didn't care at the moment. All he could think about was the awful, insecure feeling of someone else putting their hands on her. When he finally needed a breath, he knew what the first thing she would comment on would be.

"If you were that worked up, why didn't you take our pants off too?" she smirked.

Rolling his eyes, he sighed "Because that would mean going another second without touching you."

Seeing her about to go into one of her monologue states, he pressed his lips against hers, hearing her moan deeply. _I wonder if she's actually saying one in her head, or just happy._

After releasing her lips a moment later, he began to take off her bra while asking "Can you tell me what you were just thinking about?"

Her eyes began to widen, as he laid his hands on her breasts. Feeling his nose pressed against hers, she replied "I was just thinking about the movie."

Lifting an eyebrow at her, he sat up to take off both their pants and underwear. Normally he wouldn't be so quick about it, but even he didn't like sitting in such a wet substance.

"Which part were you thinking about?"

"When he finally tells her he loves her. He takes her hand and tells her how much she means to him. She really is on Cloud 9...don't you ever tell anyone I said that!" she nearly scowled at him.

Smiling at her, he rested his lips against hers. "I can't promise anything."

The two then fell asleep together, after one more lingering kiss. Arnold held Helga in his arms, knowing what a sense of relief it was to be the one holding her.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30: Fixing Things

The next morning Arnold awoke to feel his wife's warm skin pressed against himself. With his arms wrapped around her, he began running his fingers through her hair. Hearing her release a deep sigh with a smile on her face, he thought to himself _I could make her some breakfast, but if I tried moving, it would wake her up._

Thinking about this made him think about how there was always breakfast waiting downstairs for them at their boarding house. Then thinking about the boarding house made him remember something he had to do that day...talk to Arnie!

It was as though Helga could read his mind. The moment this thought came to him, her eyes opened. The first thing her eyes saw was her husband's emerald eyes shining back at her. "Good morning sweetie. Did you sleep well?" he asked, pressing his lips against hers.

Feeling him run his fingers through her hair, with her smooth skin pressed tightly against his warm chest, she sighed "Not bad. How about you?"

"I was on Cloud 9" he winked, watching her roll his eyes at him.

"Oh brother. You're never going to let me live that down, are you?" she smirked.

"Probably not. I have to go to the boarding house for awhile." he reminded her.

Cocking her brow, he asked "What for?"

"Remember, I told Arnie to meet me there?" he said, hoping she wouldn't be too upset.

"Crimity! Well, we can only hope he gets hit by a bus on his way there." she scoffed.

"Whatever you say Helga." he sighed, standing up to get dressed.

While he was doing so, Helga went to the bathroom to brush her teeth. Arnold stood watching her, wondering what he was going to do about Arnie. What else was there he could say? He warned him to stay away,and he told him Helga hated him.

"While I'm gone, do you want to talk to Phoebe and Gerald about the party? Maybe the three of you could contact everybody today?"

Spitting into the sink, she scoffed. "Oh, is that the real reason you're bailing on me? Not to talk to your cousin, but to get out of making a few phone calls. Sheesh!" she scowled.

Rolling his eyes, he replied "Uhh would you like to be the one to talk to him? Besides, I want to find out who gave him my number."

"I suppose that would be a good idea. That way I'll know whose lights to punch out the next time we go over there!" she scowled.

"Whatever you say Helga." he sighed, heading for the kitchen.

A moment later, Helga walked in dressed and ready to say she had texted Phoebe. When she saw Arnold still not eating anything, she smirked "You know, this room is where all the food contents for a certain activity called breakfast reside."

Standing up from the table, he said "I think I'll just go on and head over there. Grandma's probably got breakfast going anyway. You're welcome to join me."

"I don't want that slob staring at me while I eat." she scoffed, thinking back to all the times she had shared a meal with Arnie.

"No offense Helga, but you're not the most polite eater yourself." Arnold pointed out, seeing her clench her fists.

"Oh move it along hairboy! Send that cousin of yours back to the funny farm he came from!" she scowled, watching him walk out the door.

When Arnold made it to the boarding house, he went inside to see the boarders eating silently. Walking into the dining room, he asked "Hey, what's going…"

Arnold paused to see Arnie had already made an early appearance and was disturbing the boarders with his careless table manners.

Arnold then tapped Phil on the shoulder and said, "Grandpa, can I talk to you for a second?"

"Anything to get me away from that weirdo!"

"I hope you don't mind, but I invited him over so we could talk." Arnold informed him.

With his hands on his waist, Phil exclaimed "Can't you do that at that shelter place we threw him into? Or that hospital place you work at?"

Rolling his eyes, Arnold said "I just want a quiet place to talk to him for a few minutes."

"Fine. I'm sick of seeing that freak though." Phil exclaimed.

Before Phil could walk away, Arnold asked "You wouldn't happen to know how he got my number would you?"

"Oh yeah, I gave it to him." Phil said bluntly.

"Grandpa!" Arnold shouted, giving him a disappointed look.

"Well he was bugging me! I needed someone to pass him off onto!" Phil exclaimed.

As Phil was turning away, Arnie was entering the room. Phil raced into the dining room, while Arnold listened to Arnie say "Snort. I'm ready to talk."

Sighing at the thought of how this was likely to go, Arnold replied "Okay Arnie, let's go in the living room."

Meanwhile, Helga was at Gerald's with Phoebe, getting started on contacting their friends for the party.

"This should be quite a delightful event." Phoebe insisted.

Helga rolled her eyes, thinking about how just the thought of planning for this reminded her of the pain she dealt with going through the wedding planning.

"Well, let's get started. Thankfully, we can replace calling Arnie and Olga with Jason and Mark." Gerald pointed out, while Helga leaned forward on the couch. "If either of them gets invited, I'll strap fireworks to your back!"

Rolling his eyes at her remark, Gerald asked "Do you have Jason or Mark's number?"

"Uhh I guess Arnold and I could just ask them at work tomorrow. I had too much on my mind to think about mentioning it to Jason last night." Helga said, thinking about her incident with Matt at the movie.

While thoughts about Matt were making her uncomfortable, Arnold was growing impatient with Arnie.

"Look Arnie, why would you want to be with someone who has no feelings for you? Helga never has and never will." Arnold said, rubbing his head.

"Snort. She could change." he snorted, sticking firly to his feelings.

"I've known her since preschool. Very few things about the way she thinks and feels about things have changed." Arnold assured him.

"Snort. It could happen." he replied, continuing to stare with his unamused look.

Not proud of what he was about to say, Arnold asked "Arnie, do you know what a restraining order is?"

"Snort. Yes." he replied, making Arnold's eyes widen.

"Uhh...are you sure?" Arnold asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Snort. It's when you're not allowed to go near someone." he explained, bewildering Arnold.

"Right… And if you don't leave Helga alone, she's going to issue one against you."

"Snort. It hasn't happened yet." Arnie pointed out, not scared by the threat.

Rolling his eyes, Arnold replied "Arnie, don't you miss being home?"

"Snort. Maybe. Snort. My parents won't let me go back until I'm fixed." he said, shrugging his shoulders.

Sighing deeply, Arnold thought to himself _How am I supposed to fix that problem?_

"If I was able to 'fix' you, would you consider moving back?" he asked hopefully.

"Snort. Sure." Arnie replied, the most hopeful remark Arnold had heard in days.

Lifting his head, he said "Great! Why don't you go back to the shelter, and we'll talk more about this later."

"Snort. Okay."

Before Arnold could leave, Phil walked in. "I couldn't help but overhear the last part of what was said. I don't know what you ate last night that makes you think you can fix that kid. That Jason character you keep bringing over here must have even weirder recipes than your grandmother!"

Rolling his eyes, Arnold asked "Do you have uncle Joe's phone number?"

"Uhhh your mom probably does. Kid came from her side, not mine." Phil pointed out.

"Where is she?" Arnold asked anxiously.

"At the store. If you want, I'll tell her to call you with it later." Phil offered.

A smile then came to Arnold's face, as he waved goodbye to his grandpa.

While Arnold was heading out, his friends were finishing up the phone calls. "It appears as though Rhonda is the last person to contact." Phoebe pointed out.

"Pttss...don't look at me, I'm not doing it." Helga smirked.

Knowing Gerald wouldn't be interested either, Phoebe began to dial the phone.

Ring...Ring...Ring…

"Hello?"

"Hello Rhonda. It's Phoebe."

"Phoebe! How are you?"

"I'm doing quite well. I called to invite you to a fourth of July party Arnold and Helga are throwing at the boarding house."

"What! But I'M throwing a party that night?!"

"Oh dear! We've spoken to all the other guests and no one mentioned anything?"

"I haven't sent the invitations out! Oh this is horrid!"

"I suppose we could go to Arnold's first for the fireworks, since everyone already plans to meet there. Then we could head for your place for some music and snacks."

"Well, it wasn't what I was hoping for, but I suppose it will do. See you Friday!"

Hanging up the phone, Phoebe turned to see her friends giving her questioning looks. "Now what was that about?" Gerald asked.

"I'm afraid Rhonda was already planning to invite people over for a party that night." Phoebe side.

"Pttss...figures!" Helga scoffed, leaning back on the couch with her arms crossed.

"Well, everyone can still meet at Arnold's. I told her just to have everyone go to her place after the fireworks." Phoebe explained, hoping that would be good enough for them.

"That is, if they want to." Gerald said wittingly.

"Pttss...tell me about it!" Helga scoffed, sitting up.

A moment later, a knock came to the door. Gerald went over to answer it, seeing his best friend waiting to be let in.

"Hey Gerald, how are the phone calls going?"

"Everyone's coming. How'd things with that creepy cousin of yours go?" Gerald couldn't help but ask.

"Uhh I think things are starting to work out." he said, scratching his head while entering the living room.

Sitting beside Helga, he wrapped his arm around her and asked "So, everybody's coming?"

"Yeah, but instead of coming back to the apartment after the fireworks show, we'll be heading over to Princess' house." Helga sighed.

"Did she not want to see the apartment?" Arnold couldn't help but ask.

"Turned out she was already planning a party that night. You just beat her to the invites." Gerald said wittingly.

"Guess she's not as organized as she believes she is." Helga smirked.

Rolling his eyes, Arnold said "The important thing is, we'll have something to do with everyone that night."

"Arnold's right. It's not about where the fun happens, just as long as it does." Phoebe replied, watching the loving Arnold look was giving Helga as he rubbed her hand.

Helga could sense his face moving closer towards hers while seeing the disgusted look in Gerald's eyes. "Uhh we should get going. I never did get to finish those data entries." she said, standing up from the couch.

"What data entries are those? Phoebe asked, while seeing Arnold about to leave with her.

"Mark insisted I keep a record of everything that's happened to Arnold and I with Matt, Amanda and Arnie. You can just picture how fun that's been. Sheesh!" she exclaimed.

"Mm.. ! Don't forget to add last night's loving event." Gerald winked, while Helga began to clench her fists.

"Yeah...we'll see you guys later." Arnold sighed, walking out the door with Helga.

Making it to the sidewalk, placing her hands on her hips, Helga smirked "That guy thinks I'm the aggressive one, but he just looks for ways to push my buttons!"

"Come on Helga. All you ever do is mess with people." her husband pointed out, while she simply rolled her eyes.

"Whatever. Let's go grab some burgers to take home." she insisted, not caring how much quicker she was moving than her husband.

When they made it back to the apartment, Helga had already eaten half her burger. Arnold had decided to wait until they arrived to start on his.

Watching her taking her last bite, licking her fingers profusely, wiping her hands on her clothes, he asked "Did it not occur to you this bag was full of napkins?"

Glaring at him, she scowled "Did it not occur to you to hand me one?!"

Smiling at her attitude, he replied "You told me you didn't need my help?"

"So why are you bothering to say anything then?" she scowled.

Setting down his food, he moved closer to her. Running his fingers through her hair, he said softly "Because I love doing things for you."

While she was unable to hide her swoon, he began pressing his lips against hers. Sitting her on the table, wrapping his arms around her, he became lost in the moment until suddenly…

Ring...Ring...Ring…

"Crimity! It's like the phone can't handle witnessing us express ourselves!" she scowled, while Arnold went over to answer it.

Helga then went to sit down in front of the tv, knowing nothing good ever appeared on the weekend. She continued flipping through the channels, until Arnold sat down beside her.

"Was that Princess calling to protest the idea of having part of the party at the boarding house?" Helga smirked.

Wrapping his arm around her, Arnold replied "It was actually my mom."

Not having heard from her in awhile, Helga asked "Is everything alright?"

"She was calling to give me my uncle's phone number. When I spoke with Arnie earlier, he said he'd be willing to go home if I could uhh 'fix' him."

Rolling her eyes, Helga smirked "And, what makes you think there's a snowball's chance in hell of that happening?"

Scratching his head, he replied "I was thinking I could call my uncle and ask if there was a way Arnie could put his 'interests' to use at the farm."

"Like how? Snort with the pigs?" she scoffed, crossing her arms at him.

"I'm sure we could find a way to make it work. Just give me some time." Arnold insisted.

"Pttss...fine! Much as I hate to admit it, he's not our biggest problem right now." Helga sighed.

Rubbing her thigh, Arnold said "That reminds me, you should add what happened yesterday into your data entries. Mark will want you to keep up with everything. It won't hurt to include my discussion with Arnie today in them either."

"Pttss...attention hog!" she scoffed, as she got up to grab her folder.

"Whatever you say Helga." he sighed, watching her returned with the papers.

As she wrote down the information from the unexpected events that had taken place that weekend, Arnold asked "Are you going to write down the title of the movie?"

Glaring at him, she asked "Do you want my fist to make a cloud shape on your face?"

"How about we make Fist-Face your nickname? Your seem to like using that threat a lot." he couldn't help but laugh.

"Watch it Arnoldo, or I'll get Mark to come up with a case on verbal harassment." she scowled.

"Isn't the whole point of this for YOU to be learning these things?" Arnold pointed out, knowing he was just pushing it.

After not receiving a response, he sat there watching her silently finishing her entries. Still wrapping his arm around her, he thought to himself, _what could I think to tell uncle Joe Arnie could help with over there?_

After finishing her files, Helga looked up to see Arnold staring off into space.

"OW! Hey! What was that for?" he insisted on knowing.

"I only called your name five or six times. Sheesh!" she scowled.

"Okay...did you really have to smack me with your folder though?" he asked.

"Hey, you said I should be called fist face. Does that mean you would have been happier if I used my fist?" she asked wittingly.

"Whatever you say Helga" he sighed, while the two got up to head for the bedroom.

Laying down together in each other's arms, Arnold asked "What do you think Rhonda's half of the party will be like?"

With her eyes closed, shrugging her shoulders, she sighed "If it really is like that geek party, no one will go to hers."

Kissing her on the head, squeezing her tight, the two soon fell asleep together. Both of them knowing how lucky they were to have each other.


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31: Chicken Without Dumplings

Helga woke up the next morning to find herself alone in bed, two minutes before the alarm was set to go off. _Crimity! Do I lay here another two minutes, or just get up? Where's football head?_

Before her mind could fully process these thoughts, she saw Arnold coming over to shut off the alarm.

"Morning sweetie. Ready for work?" he asked, smiling at her.

"Uhh I guess. What are you doing up so early?" she wondered.

"After that long nap we took yesterday, I had a hard time sleeping. It was worth getting to hold you though." he said, winking at her.

Her heart began to flutter, before she glanced over at the clock. She realized she had to get moving if she didn't want to be late for work.

Once she was up and dressed, Helga saw Arnold already in the kitchen making her cereal for her.

"Here you go sweetie. It's as sweet as you are." he smiled, while she sat down with her food.

"What's got you so giddy this morning?" she couldn't help but ask.

"I'm just excited about the party I guess. I know how stressful the summer has been for the both of us." he replied.

"Pttss...ya got that right!" she scoffed, shoving the cereal into her mouth.

Seeing the frown on her face, while she stared at her sweet breakfast, he replied "Nothing's going to ruin it though. I'm going to talk to my relatives about getting Arnie to come home. Mark and Jason are helping us stay ahead of Matt. If I have to, I'll issue a restraining order against Amanda."

Cocking her brow, Helga said "I'm shocked you didn't do that sooner."

Reaching for her hand, he said "You know I'm not that type of person."

Taking her bowl to the sink, she replied "That's supposed to make me feel better?"

"No, but maybe this will." he said, getting up to kiss her. Softly pressing his lips against hers, he wanted to run his fingers through her hair. He knew how upset she'd be though if he took it down.

"Guess I'll see you after work." he sighed, letting go of her.

"See ya football head." she said, waving goodbye to him.

When Arnold was ready to head downstairs, Jason was ready with a smile on his face. "Hey Arnold, ready for this week's topic?"

"Uhh yeah. What exactly will we be learning again?" he asked.

"Crisis interventions. It's critical to know how to prepare yourself when a patient is dealing with a crisis." Jason explained, while Arnold wondered what types of problems why may be dealing with that day.

"That sounds interesting. I forgot to tell you Saturday that Helga and I are having a party Friday to celebrate the fourth of July. We'll be shooting fireworks at the boarding house. You and Mark are both welcome to come."

"Thanks. That sounds great! Would you like us to bring any food or drinks?" Jason asked, while Arnold's eyes began to widen.

"Uhhh that's okay. We'll handle everything."

Meanwhile, Helga had just walked into Mark's office. "Hey Mark. Got my files, up to date and everything."

"That's great. Jason told me what happened this weekend."

"Pttss...of course he did." she scoffed, setting her folder down.

"Are you okay? I know that must have made you uncomfortable." Mark said, encouraging her to open up to him.

Crossing her arms, she scowled "I just don't know what to do at this point. I've already hit him, so until the summer is over, it's like he's allowed to do whatever the heck he wants to me! If he touches me and I sue him for harassment, that'll just make him go through with suing me for assault. All I'm left with is riding out these next few weeks and 'optimistically' seeing them as good practice for my career. Crimity!"

Sitting there puzzled a moment, Mark replied "Well I know Mayor Dixie said to take a full week on each topic, but this week is constituent services."

"What's that in English?" Helga smirked, not caring about Mark's response.

"Basically it means describing the services an official such as yourself would be providing to your constituents. That doesn't hold much place in this case however. I also don't see it taking a full week to learn."

"Pttss...ya got that right!" she scoffed, with her arms crossed.

"That being the case, we can move along to fieldwork." Mark insisted, while Helga leaned forward in her chair.

"How does that work?"

"It's when you gain experience and knowledge through firsthand observation. You're already gaining experience of the work done in this environment, just by using these practices on a dilemma going on in your everyday life. What's going to continue for the next few weeks however is the knowledge you'll be required to keep track of when you observe Matt, Amanda, and Arnie." Mark explained, seeing Helga mutter to herself "Crimity!"

Meanwhile, Arnold and Jason had made it to Dr. Bliss' office. "Good morning Dr. Bliss. Are we starting the crisis interventions this week?"

"That will be part of this week. I'd also like to focus on outreach programming." she replied.

"What's that?" Arnold couldn't help but ask.

"Outreach programming is trying to find ways to reach someone through social activities. For instance an after-school program."

The first thought that came to Arnold's mind was setting something up at P.S.118 with Olga. Psychology was a major of hers.

When the end of the day was approaching for Helga, she stood up to say goodbye to Mark. "Thanks for your help. I'll be counting down the days."

Before she walked out, she turned to ask "Oh by the way, Arnold and I are throwing a party at his grandparents' house. You and Jason are invited. He can show you where it is."

"That's very nice of you to invite us! We'd love to be there." he insisted, seeing her wave goodbye once more.

Once Helga made it home, she saw her husband talking on the phone.

After spending a few minutes in the kitchen, Helga heard Arnold hang up the phone. She took the leftover candy from their game night with her to sit beside him.

"What was that about?" she asked.

"I was talking to my uncle about taking Arnie back." he said, rubbing her leg.

"This doesn't sound too promising." she replied, shoving piece after piece of chocolate into her mouth.

"They said if he'd be willing to help with the taxes, they'd take him back."

Nearly choking on her candy, she scowled "That dweeb?! What makes you think he can do something like that?!"

"He's smarter than he seems Helga. He just has no...uhh...social skills." Arnold said, hating to admit it.

"Pttss...ya got that right! So when are they taking him?" she scoffed.

"I don't know yet. I have to talk to Arnie first about it." Arnold sighed, receiving an agitated look from his wife.

"Why are you always passing information back and forth for those people? I mean crimity! They have their own freakin' phones!" she scowled.

Scratching his head, he replied "You're right. I'll call Arnie and tell him to talk to his parents."

Rolling her eyes, she said "Good. I'm going to change my clothes."

A few moments later, Arnold came into the bedroom. "Well, I told him what they said and he needs to call them."

Rolling her eyes, as she put on her shirt, she scoffed "Here's your chance to prove he's as smart as you say he is!"

Sighing at her remark, he asked "So, how was work today?"

Sitting on the edge of the bed, she replied "All I can do with these dumb lessons is continue to observe these freaks making attempts to feel me up until the expiration date at last arrives."

Taking a seat beside her, Arnold replied "You mean, that's all WE can do."

Laying her head on his shoulder, she heard him say "Hey Helga."

"What is it?" she asked, not wanting to sit back up.

"Today at work, Dr. Bliss mentioned a good thing to practice would be outreach programming."

Not having heard of it, she then lifted her head to ask "What the heck is that?"

"Well, it's supposed to be when kids are given different types of activities to participate in to help open up to each other. I thought maybe Olga would know of something, or be willing to try it at PS 118?"

Despite the glare on her face, Arnold continued to wait for a response.

"Call her if you want. Just don't drag me into it in anyway." she warned him.

Smiling at her, he held her face in his hands, pulling her in to give her a lingering kiss. Resting his lips against her, while keeping her face in his hands, he said "It doesn't seem right for two people our age to be so anxious for the summer to end."

Rolling her eyes, she smirked "Ya got that right!"

Arnold then went to call Olga, while Helga rested on their bed.

Ring...Ring..Ring…

"Hello?"

"Hey Olga. It's Arnold."

"Arnold! How are you?!"

"Uhh fine. I wanted to ask if PS 118 has any type of outreach programming activities at the moment?"

"Hmm well you could always come help out in the kitchen during lunch hour, or donate something you think would be useful to the school."

"Okay, I'll mention it to Dr. Bliss. Thanks Olga."

"You're welcome! Tell baby sister I said hi!"

"Okay. Bye."

Shortly after setting the phone down, Helga walked in. "So how'd it go with Mrs. Squeaks A Lot?!"

"She had some interesting ideas. I'll suggest them to Dr. Bliss." Arnold replied, while Helga pulled the chicken from the previous night out of the fridge.

"Told you it would be a good idea to bring it home." Arnold smiled, as he watched her pick it up.

Rolling her eyes, she smirked "I believe it was Jason who suggested we bring it home. The idea was not yours football head!"

"Whatever you say Helga." he sighed, while waiting for her to heat up their dinner.

Moments later, the two of them were sitting at the table with the leftover meal, while Arnold was watching his wife chow down uncontrollably. "Can chicken be your nickname? You seem to love it, so why not be called it?"

Glaring at him, taking her last bite, she scowled "You were the one with feathers glued to their butt. What are you calling me the chicken for?"

"You're right. I'll keep trying." he laughed.

After finishing their meals, the two headed for the bedroom. Helga laid in her sweatpants and tank top, holding her stomach tight. "Oohhhh!"

"Are you okay?" Arnold asked, laying down beside her.

"How could you let me eat like that?" she asked, laying the guilt trip on him.

"You mean, the same way you've been eating all your life? Yeah, how could I let you do such a thing." he laughed, rubbing her stomach for her.

"Shut up Arnoldo." she barely muttered, waving her arm at him.

Kissing her lips softly, he said "I'll go get you something for your stomach."

Holding it tight, she thought to herself _I can't even fathom would being pregnant is like!_

"Here you go. I brought you some water to go with it." he said, while she was barely able to sit up.

"You better not shove chicken and dumplings into my mouth this time." she smirked.

"Hey, if you had just eaten before, I wouldn't have had to resort to that." he laughed, while watching her drink the water.

"Whatever football head. Good night."

Gently stroking her hair, watching her hold her stomach, he replied "Sweet dreams sweetie."


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32: Stomach Problems

The next morning, Arnold rolled over to shut off the alarm, while seeing Helga remained in the position she had fallen asleep in; flat on her back with her hands holding her stomach.

Kissing her softly, Arnold whispered, it's time to get ready for work Helga.

Her eyes began to flutter along with an unpleasant moan that released from her. "Are you feeling any better?" he asked.

Holding her stomach tightly, she replied "Not really."

Running his fingers through her hair, with his nose pressed against hers, he said softly "Maybe you can stay home?"

Knowing it wouldn't be a good idea, with the position they were already in, Helga began to sit up. "Nah, I'll live. Just keep the sugar away from me this morning."

"Are you finally admitting it's bad for you?" Arnold couldn't help but laugh.

"Are you finally asking for me to 'give it to you?'" Helga threatened, with a vengeful glare.

"Whatever you say Helga." he sighed, while the two of them got dressed.

Once they entered the kitchen, Helga decided to sit calmly at the table, rather than scrummaging through the cereal.

"Are you not going to eat anything?" Arnold asked.

"My stomach's too upset. If I decide I can handle something, I just grab a doughnut from the break room." she insisted.

"So, we're back to sugar." he smiled, seeing a glare to come her face.

"Don't you have more important things to worry about than my stomach. For instance, your date with my sister!" she scowled.

"Helga, I'm just suggesting a few activities for the patients to try. We're only doing one week of it." he reminded her, while she began to rise from the table.

"Yeah, yeah. I gotta go. Have fun with your dream mates." she scowled, holding her stomach on the way out.

When Arnold headed outside to see Jason, he heard "Arnold, is Helga okay? I saw her holding her stomach?"

Scratching his head, he replied "I think she just ate too much last night."

"That doesn't sound good. What did you eat?" Jason couldn't help but ask.

"The rest of the chicken we made at my grandparents'." Arnold said, hoping that wouldn't make him feel bad.

Giving a concerned look, Jason asked "You don't feel sick, do you?"

"No, but I'm not as umm 'into' eating as she is." Arnold replied, scratching his head.

"I see. Well, she should be fine in a few hours." Jason replied, while the two of them headed to work.

Meanwhile, Helga was taking her time getting to the office. Holding her stomach, she heard her phone go off in her phone. _Crimity! What is it!_

Picking it up, she asked "Hello? Oh hey Mark, sorry I'm running late. I'm almost there. Bye."

A few moments later, she walked into the office rubbing her stomach.

"Helga, is everything okay?" he asked.

Sitting down slowly, she replied "I ate a lot last night, and I've felt sick ever since."

"What was is you ate?" Mark asked, looking concerned.

"Arnold and I ate what was left of the chicken we made with Jason." she informed him, not letting go of her stomach.

Smiling at her, Mark said "Don't tell Jason, but his meals don't always sit right with my stomach."

"Really?" she asked, looking surprised.

"Yeah. He's a great cook, but sometimes likes to try things his own way. Not everyone's stomach can handle that." Mark said, winking at her.

While Helga was taking this into consideration, Arnold and Jason were heading inside to meet Dr. Bliss.

"Good morning boys, did you get a chance to think about ideas for outreach programming?" she asked.

"Actually, I spoke with Helga's sister, Olga Pataki. She now works at PS 118." Arnold began, while Dr. Bliss interrupted

"I remember meeting Helga there. I could tell from the moment I sat in your classroom, you were the only thing on her mind."

Trying to hide his rose colored cheeks, Arnold continued. "Well, Olga says if you wanted to, the patients could try volunteering in the kitchen or donating something the school might need."

"Well, I don't know how much of an opportunity to socialize with one another about their feelings they would have if they worked in the kitchen, but they could at least donate as a healthy exercise. It would go well with the empathy exercise you had them practice last week." Dr. Bliss pointed out.

After listening, Jason couldn't help but butt in "Are we going to be dealing with any crisis interventions this week?"

"Each of you only has one patient from your group who would require a crisis intervention. I've written down their name and phone number in case they try to contact you at any point during the week."

Arnold reached for the card, assuming to see Hilda's name. Strong as she appeared to be, Arnold knew she was just as sensitive as his wife. He the read the card to see…

Gerard: 901-256-7800

After going wide-eyed a moment, Arnold thought to himself _I should have known._

By that point in the day, Helga's stomach had settled and she was calmly discussing everything that had happened to her and Arnold recently with Mark.

"Well, aside from running into Matt at the movies, the only new news on helicopter head is that Arnold may finally have convinced his parents to take him home!" she exclaimed.

Raising an eyebrow, Mark asked "Helicopter head?"

"Oh, that's what I call Arnie because of this weird spinning cap thingy he wears." Helga said, trying not to blush.

"I see. So you really think he'll be heading home?" Mark asked, changing the topic.

"Pttss...we can only hope. Arnold says they're working to find a use for his interests on the farm. I'm not holding my breath though." she smirked.

"Well, it's something to hope for. Perhaps the two of you could help him think of something he'd be good at?" Mark suggested.

Cocking her brow, Helga replied "Yeah...I'll leave that up to Arnold. It's his lamebrain cousin. Not mine."

While they were discussing this, Arnold was speaking to Dr. Bliss about the outreach programming. "So, when should I tell everyone to bring something to donate?"

"I can email everyone tonight. They're all on my patient email address list. I'll let them know it's part of our practice and would be greatly appreciated if they'd bring something." Dr. Bliss informed them.

"Sounds great. See you tomorrow." Arnold waved, heading out with Jason.

Not too much later than that, Helga and Mark decided they had gone over all they could for the day.

"Well, guess I'll see you tomorrow. Have a good night." Helga said, grabbing her things.

"Good night. Watch what you eat." Mark insisted.

Helga didn't like taking orders from people, but she knew he was just being helpful.

"Right. See ya."

On her way home, Helga thought to herself _I wonder what Dr. Bliss thought of Arnold's donation plan?_

Making it back to the apartment, she saw her beloved sitting in front of the tv. As he sat there flipping through the channels, he suddenly felt something lay their head down on him.

"Helga!" he jumped, not hearing her come in.

"Crimity! Football head, what's with the yelling?"

"I didn't hear you come in." he blushed, rubbing his neck.

"Oh, now who's the deaf one?' she smirked, laying her head back down on his shoulder.

Rubbing her arm, he asked "How's your stomach doing."

"It's fine. Mark said Jason's not always the cook he makes himself out to be." she smirked.

Trying not to smile at her remark, Arnold replied "Well, it's still nice of him to teach us."

"Pttss...teach us how to reach for the Tums." she smirked.

Kissing her on the head, he asked "Is there anything special you'd like me to make you tonight?"

"Not unless you got anymore of those salty, sugary treats from game night." she said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Are chips and candy really what you consider to be dinner?" he asked, looking down at her tired face.

Not feeling energized enough to scowl at him, she replied "Apparently so. Do we still have any?"

"Uhhh I'm sure I could find something sweet for you." he thought out loud, taking his arm back.

"Okay, I'm going to go change my clothes." she informed him, while he began searching the cabinets.

After changing her clothes, she saw her husband entering the bedroom with a sweet treat for her. "You ate all the snacks I bought on game night. Will this do?" he asked, handing her a chocolate shake he had made himself.

Her eyes sent him that heartfelt look only he could bring to them. "It'll get the job done." she replied, looking into his emerald eyes.

While she was laying on the bed, sucking on her sweet treat, she felt her husband running his hand up and down her stomach. She knew what he must be thinking about.

"It's interesting." Arnold began, while Helga removed the straw from her mouth to ask "What is?"

"That gender advice sheet said the way to have a girl would be stay away from sweets, but chocolate would be a good treat."

"It also said dairy was the way to go, so if you keep making me these, you can kiss Phil goodbye!" she scoffed, taking the last sip of her shake.

Setting down the glass for her, Arnold said "We'll see about that. Right now I've got something else to take care of."

Placing his lips around hers, with her face between his hands, he wiped his tongue in circles all around the edges of her mouth. Faster and faster, trying to get off every last bit of the sugary dessert. Releasing her lips, he pressed their noses together and asked "Can I call you fudgsicle or Mrs Fudgey, since I'm always having to lick the chocolate off of you?"

Rolling her eyes, she smirked "Do it, and you're never touching my lips again, football head."

"We'll see about that." he smiled, knowing that statement was as far from true as it could ever be.


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33: Swoon

The next morning Arnold awoke thinking about how close they were to approaching their fourth of July party. Looking over at his sleeping wife, he thought to himself _I hope this one makes up for the last party._

Just as the alarm went off, Arnold noticed Helga waking on her own. "Guess you didn't need my help this morning?" he smiled, running his fingers through her hair.

Rolling her eyes, she replied "My stomach told me it was time to get up."

Grinning widely at her, he replied "That might be because you replaced dinner with a handful of sweets again."

Throwing the covers off herself, she sighed "Whatever football head."

Arnold couldn't help but take notice of her lack of enthusiasm. Normally, she'd be more than willing to throw his words back into his face, even if she was just playing. "Are you feeling okay?"

Throwing on her clothes, she sighed "Yeah, I just don't feel like going to work. All we're doing is putting together the list of details for every freakin' time we've seen one of our three stalker fans roaming around town. Sheesh!"

Arnold was once again sent on one of his guilt trips. He hated seeing Helga miserable whether it was his fault or not.

"Well, I guess you could look at it as being more than halfway through your training. By the time this incident is over, you'll have learned everything they intended you to." Arnold said, hoping she would look on the bright side.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. I'm hungry! Has Dr. Bliss started paying you enough for us to hire a cook yet?" she scowled, grabbing her cereal.

"Uhh not exactly. Isn't that what we have Jason for, and according to you, the internet?" he asked, wittingly.

"Oh don't start with me football head! Like you said, I'm as sour as I am sweet." she scoffed.

"Whatever you say Helga." he sighed, watching her sit at the table. It had gotten to the point where some mornings she sat with the box, taking handfuls out to eat, rather than using a spoon and bowl.

"So, the kids are supposed to be bringing their items to donate today." he said, hoping to get a normal conversation going.

Cocking her brow, with a mouth full of cereal, she scoffed "So, giving away whatever precious items they do possess is supposed to help make them feel better about their crummy lives? Pttss...pathetic!"

Rolling his eyes at her inability to see the good behind the exercise, he replied "It's supposed to make them feel good about themselves to know that they're helping other people."

"Hmmm…'My life's crappy, let me fix it by making yours better!' Great exercise!" she smirked.

"Whatever you say Helga." he sighed, while watching her stand to put the cereal back on top of the fridge.

"You got it. Whatever I say." she scoffed, heading for the door, but felt a tug on her hand passing the table.

Looking back at her husband, watching his sparkling green eyes, she asked "What is it Arnoldo? I'm going to be late?"

Scratching his head, he replied "I just thought you might like to go with me to take the toys to PS 118."

Cocking her brow, she replied "Uhh you do realize you're asking if I would like to visit my sister?"

Rubbing her hand softly, he said "It's just for a few minutes."

"Fine! Meet me at work this afternoon! Now can I go?" she scowled.

"Not without a kiss." he said, standing to press his lips firmly against hers. No hostile behavior of hers could be strong enough to erase the loving feelings he possessed for her.

"Now you may go." he smiled, taking his lips off hers.

"Pttss...thanks. I shouldn't be more than half an hour late." she scoffed to keep her reputation, although butterflies were filling her stomach.

A few moments later, Arnold went downstairs to greet Jason. "Hey Arnold! Ready to find out what things the patients were willing to donate?"

"Yeah, I am a bit curious. I know some people don't take other people's feelings into consideration when they donate. By that I mean, they don't give away the nicest things." Arnold said, scratching his head.

"That's very true. When I was at the homeless shelter, a man wore a pair of jeans with about twenty holes and a faded blue t-shirt. I asked where he had gotten them from, and he told me they were donated to him." Jason said, watching Arnold's eye widen in amazement.

While this sad topic was being discussed amongst Arnold and Jason, Helga was walking into Mark's office.

"Morning Mark." she sighed.

"Good morning Helga. Are you doing alright?"

Sitting down at the desk, crossing her arms, she scoffed "Yeah, I'm just ready to get this summer over with. I mean crimity! I almost wish he would just go ahead and sue me, so we could quit dragging out the time like this."

"I know it's not an easy thing to process. That's why you have to control your anger." he told her, while she couldn't help but glare at him for this.

 _Who does he think he is saying that to me?_

As angry as this made her, she knew not to blow up on the one person who could save her and Arnold from the crisis they were currently in.

"Yeah, I know."

Seeing the upset look on her face, he added "As a lawyer, I know just how frustrating life can be. Sometimes all you can do is take a few deep breaths."

Meanwhile, Arnold and Jason were speaking to Dr. Bliss about the donated items. "Well boys, I have the box with the items the patients brought in."

Arnold went through it to find shirts, toys, cd's, and a journal. When we reached for the journal, he knew right away who had to have put that in there. After opening it up to see nothing inside, Arnold imagined it filled with page after page of the heartfelt poetry his wife had written about him.

"I'll take this to PS 118 after work." Arnold said happily.

"Could I come too?" Jason asked anxiously.

"Uhh sure. I probably won't stay long. I asked Helga to come and her sister works there. They don't get along too well." he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"That's asham. Have they considered family therapy?" Jason asked eagerly, while Arnold's eyes widened.

"Uhh I think they've tried just about all they can. Some people just aren't meant to be that close." At first Arnold said this, just to get Jason away from the idea of bringing Helga into therapy. Then he thought about the way he was always trying to push her to be closer with them. Sometimes it worked, but he couldn't expect a miracle.

"I understand. Well, at least she has a family, more importantly, you." Jason smiled, setting his hand on Arnold's shoulder.

A wide grin formed on Arnold's face. Although he wished Helga was closer to her family, it was nice knowing he was enough to fill the void in her heart her family had always left.

After a few hours had passed, Mark and Helga were finishing up there day. "Well, I guess I'll be seeing you. I haven't run into anybody recently. If I'm lucky, that's how the rest of the summer will go." Helga sighed.

"Well if you do, you know to put it in your data entry files. Keeping track of all this is also good field work exercise." Mark said, while Helga did her best not to roll her eyes. Whether this was the type of career she was hoping for or not, she wanted to be the one giving orders. Not the one being lectured about them.

"I gotcha. See ya tomorrow." she said, waving goodbye to him.

Helga then waited outside for her husband to show up. Technically she could have waited in the office. She had had enough of work however, and wasn't looking for a chance to continue it.

After a few moments of standing on the steps in her heels, thinking to herself _I need to buy some flats_ she saw Arnold and Jason approaching with a box of donations.

"Hey Helga. Ready to see your sister?" Arnold asked anxiously, holding the box of donations.

"Pttss...I think you just answered your own question." she smirked, standing with her hands on her hips.

Arnold glanced over at Jason, sending a message that implied _See what I mean?_

"Well, Jason said he wanted to come with us. He's been looking forward to taking these over there." Arnold said hesitantly, knowing she wasn't looking forward to going.

"Fine, let's just get this over with." she scoffed, heading down the steps of City Hall.

The three of them then headed for PS 118. Seeing Helga didn't care to start a conversation, Arnold asked "So Jason, do you know anyone who went to PS 118?"

Shaking his head, he replied "No, most of my friends went to private schools."

"Pttss...explains the first class roommate." Helga scoffed, staring at the sidewalk.

"PS 118 was a great school. We had nice teachers and were friends with all the kids in our grade." Arnold insisted, seeing Helga cock her brow. "Oh yeah! It was great! Except for the beatings from the fifth graders, the threats from Big Patty, the crappy cafeteria food, the gay lectures from Simmons, and Princess' cool vs geek bus seating chart. Sheesh!"

"Seating chart?" Jason asked, seeing Arnold rub his neck.

"Uhh one of our friends is a bit obsessed with fashion and being the coolest. She wouldn't let anyone she didn't consider 'worthy' sit up front near her." Arnold hesitated to say.

Taking this in, Jason replied "Well, we all have different opinions of ourselves and different levels of self esteem."

While Arnold took this into consideration, Helga rolled her eyes, thinking _Crimity! This guy belongs on Oprah!_

Within the next few minutes, they were at the school. "I didn't think to ask where Olga's classroom was? Last time we were here, we found her in the auditorium." Arnold said, thinking out loud.

"Well, it's not like we could just go to Wartz and ask which room she teaches in." Helga smirked.

Rolling his eyes, Arnold headed for the principal's office. The three of them walked in to find Wartz playing with his animal figures he kept hidden in his desk.

Helga rolled her eyes thinking to herself _Oh brother! To think I'M the one who did therapy!_

"Uhh Principal Wartz." Arnold began, taking Wartz by surprise.

"Yes?!"

"Sorry. We were just wondering if you could tell us where Olga Pataki's classroom is? We have a box of donations for her students." Arnold explained.

Tilting his glasses, Wartz replied "Hmm...she may still be in room 315. If not, she must have left. The teachers don't care to hang around any more than the students do after school."

 _I highly doubt that!_ Helga thought to herself, waiting to get out of there.

"Thanks Principal Wartz." Arnold waved, while the three of them headed down the hall.

As they were coming up on door 315, they heard "OH GOODY!"

Arnold and Jason took a step back, while Helga clenched her fists. "Crimity! How has she not gotten fired for that enthusiasm of hers? Sheesh!"

Wanting to encourage her to give Olga a chance, Arnold remembered his own words about some people just not being that close.

The three of them then opened the door to see Olga grading papers at her desk. "Hey Olga." Arnold said hesitantly.

"Oh Arnold! Baby sister! How are you?!" she screamed, tempted to get up and hug Helga.

"We're fine. We brought the box of donations I was telling you about." Arnold said, handing them to her.

"Oh goody! I just finished grading my papers. All my students did well on them! I can pass out a prize for each of them." she exclaimed.

"Pttss...yeah, keep dreaming sister." Helga muttered to herself.

Seeing the annoyed look on Helga's face, Arnold turned to Olga and said "Well we better be going. Thanks for helping us."

"Bye baby sister!" Olga screeched, as the three of them stepped outside the door.

Watching Helga rub her head, Jason said "She uhh seems nice."

 _You uhh seem clueless!_ Helga thought to herself.

"She is. She's just a little enthusiastic." Arnold said, placing his arm around Helga.

The three of them then walked home together, ready to relax and enjoy what was left of their evening.

When Arnold and Helga made it back to the apartment, Helga immediately went to change out of her suit,

"I'm just going to microwave us some tv dinners." Arnold yelled, not hearing a response from her.

When the food was ready, still not having seen her, he took it into the bedroom to see her laying in her sweatpants and tank top.

"Are you okay?" he asked, handing her the food.

Sitting up to take it, she rolled her eyes as she replied "You know the type of headaches she gives me. I mean crimity! You could hear her voice at the top of Mt. Everest...and all because a couple of weird kids happen to do well on a spelling test? Sheesh!"

Brushing her hair out of her face, he said "You're just different. You're both passionate people, but you express yourselves in different ways."

"My way being sane and tolerable." Helga smirked, digging into her dinner.

Watching her eat, Arnold asked "I never did ask how your day went with Mark."

Shrugging her shoulders, not taking her eyes off her food, she replied "I guess it was okay. Like I said, there's not a whole lot we can do except wait for him to make the threat."

Knowing she was right, he sat quietly, listening to her munch on her meal. "You hear back from your lame-o cousin about moving back to the farm yet?" she asked, with a mouthful.

Scratching his head, he replied "Uhh not yet. They have each other's numbers. My uncle is looking for something for him to do over there. Much like with the case, all we can do is wait things out."

"Oh crimity! It's like life is saying, 'I know the answer to your problems, I just want to see you dance for them.' Sheesh!" she scoffed, setting her food aside.

Leaning in closely, pressing his nose against hers, Arnold said "I would wait my whole life for them, if it meant waiting with you."

He could see the quiver in her lips trying to hide the familiar swoon his sweet side brought to her. Before it could happen, he pressed their lips together. Laying his hand behind her head, he laid down on top of her, lacing their fingers in his free hand together.

 _We're almost through this dark, wretched tunnel my beloved! Let your light continue shining above us to the end!_

Letting her lips go, looking into her sweet eyes, he winked "How about I call you swoon?"

Rolling her eyes at him, she sighed "How about you keep trying."

Kissing her softly once more, he replied "Will do. Sweet dreams sweetie."


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34: I Don't Know What To Do?

The next morning, the two of them awoke with different ideas of what to expect from work. Helga saw it being a bit pointless to go, unless one of them happened to run into one of their unwelcomed stalkers. Arnold on the other hand was wondering if he would ever receive a crisis call from his patient, Gerard.

After shutting off the alarm, Arnold turned to look at his wife staring at the ceiling. "Morning sweetie. How are you feeling?" he asked, brushing the hair out of her face.

"Eh, fine I guess. I'm tempted to call in. I guess that wouldn't be fair to Mark though." she sighed, turning to look at Arnold.

Smiling softly at her, he placed a hand on her face and said "Probably not. On the bright side, the party is tomorrow. We should go shopping this afternoon for some snacks, paper plates, cups, the fireworks..." he went on until she finally interrupted him.

"Sheesh football head! Who are you Princess?! Besides, I thought everyone was going to her place for all that stuff after we saw the fireworks at your grandparents' place." Helga asked, cocking her brow.

Blushing a bit, he replied "I figured everyone would stay most of the night at the boarding house, then just head home. It might make Rhonda mad, but she's invited to our party."

Although Helga hated planning out special events, she was always happy about the idea of ruining Rhonda's plans.

"Alright, let's get the merchandise after work." she sighed, sitting up to get dressed.

Arnold then stood up as well, grabbing his clothes from their closet.

After the two of them were dressed, Arnold headed for the kitchen, listening to Helga say from behind "Maybe we'll hear from your lamebrain cousin that he's leaving today."

Arnold didn't like how long it was taking to hear back from Arnie anymore than Helga was. He also didn't like stressing the situation anymore than necessary by talking about it. "Uhh maybe. Don't worry, I'm sure they'll find something for him to do on the farm."

"Pttss...I don't care if he gets a job there. I just want to get him out of here!" she scowled, reaching for the cereal.

Arnold sighed, taking a seat at the table. "Yeah me too. I know how hectic things have been."

"Ya think? I mean crimity! His parents dump him on whatever saps who will take him, knowing you're the only one with a heart mushy enough to look out for him!" she scowled, plopping down at the table with her bowl of sugar.

Setting his head down in his hand, Arnold watched Helga chew her cereal, thinking to himself _I wish Matt would just tell us if he plans on suing or not. We've done pretty much all we can to prepare for it. Now we just have to wait to see if we need to act on it…_

Ring...Ring...Ring…

Arnold shook his head, hearing his phone beep in the other room. While he ran to grab it, Helga kept her eyes on her cereal. That is, until he heard a voice as loud as her sister's on the other line…

"ARNOLD! OH MY GOSH! HELP!"

Arnold and Helga both heard, while she turned to see him holding the phone away from his ear.

"Crimity! Who is that and what the heck is wrong with them?! Sheesh!" she scowled, taking her bowl to her sink.

Carefully bringing the phone back to his ear, Arnold asked "Uhh Gerard. What's wrong? Try to relax."

Not caring to stick around to have her eardrums blown out, Helga left the apartment, ignoring the pleading look on Arnold's face for her to stay and say goodbye to him.

"ARNOLD! I donated one of my cd's to PS 118. You gotta help me!" Gerard exclaimed, while Arnold anxiously replied "Don't worry, I can get it back for you."

"NO! I want them to have it. It's part of our empathy training!" Gerard exclaimed, his voice trembling with fear.

Arnold raised an eyebrow as he asked "What's the problem if you don't want it back?"

"I forgot to clean it! I think it has a scratch on it! Oh gosh! What is some poor kid gets their hopes up that it works, but they just end up hearing songs with cut out lyrics! AHHHHH! Gerard shouted, nearly falling to the floor with the phone.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Arnold sighed "Gerard, I'm sure everything will be just fine. If it doesn't work, there are plenty of other nice things that were donated."

"Uhhh okay…. If you say so." Gerard hesitated to agree.

"I promise it'll be fine." Arnold assured him, hoping that was the end of their conversation.

Although that wasn't the smoothest way to start the morning, it did take his mind off Arnie. Once he hung up the phone, he saw he was running a few minutes late getting outside to meet Jason.

Arnold then raced outside to see Jason with a concerned look on his face. "Arnold, is everything okay? Helga seemed annoyed on her way out, and you're running late."

"Yeah, I just got a crisis phone call from a patient. Neither of us was expecting it." he explained, as the two began walking.

"My patient called me last night." Jason replied, while Arnold lifted his head. "I know we're not supposed to pass out information, but did yours seem a bit, uhh hysterical?"

Nodding his head, Jason replied "Yes, an important part of our training is helping our patients learn how to keep calm in what they feel is an overwhelming situation. We can't let them turn one of their smaller problems into a bigger problem for ourselves."

While taking this into consideration, Helga was approaching City Hall. Although she felt she had mastered the technique of high heels, she had an occasional slip up every now and then. Crossing the street to get to her office, her heel tripped the curb. All she could do was grab the nearest thing...or person next to her.

"Crimity! Stupid heels...Matt!" she exclaimed, while turning to see who she had grabbed hold of.

"Doesn't look like you're any better with those things now than you were in high school." Matt said, smiling at her.

Helga was no longer afraid of him. She was sick of waiting for the drama to end. All she wanted was a quick fix, no matter how drastic.

"So what if I'm not? You gotta problem with that?" she scoffed.

Fixing a piece of her hair that had fallen from her clip for her, he winked "No, I always thought you were pretty...no matter how you dressed."

No longer able to handle the flirting, she clenched her fists and scowled "That's it, I can't take it anymore! Just tell me, are you or are you not going to sue us?"

Keeping a calm look on his face, he said "I thought Amanda and I explained to you at dinner we felt awful about all that stuff."

Rolling her eyes at his response, she placed her hands on her hips and scoffed "Don't give me that crap! I know you two aren't really together. She had her tongue down Arnold's lamebrain cousin's throat! So tell me, what's it going to take to get rid of the two of you?"

Giving her an evil smile, he replied "Amanda is more of a player than an actor. I'm great at both."

Growing impatient, she scowled "Yeah, yeah, you deserve a metal! Now what the heck do you want, so we can end this whole ordeal?!"

Placing a hand on her shoulder, he said "I think you know what I want."

"Yeah well, I think I'd rather die! So does that mean we're taking this thing to court?" she scowled.

"What are you doing tomorrow? He asked, knowing by that point Helga had to be late for work.

"After complaining about you at work, throwing a party with some friends that my manager/lawyer will be at. I would highly advise you to stay away from it." she scoffed.

"Hmm...the last thing I want to do is ruin your life Helga. I just want to make mine more special by including you in it." he smiled evily, while watching her cross her arms "Pttss...yeah right!"

After a moment of silence, Helga was getting ready to throw a hand in his face and head for work. Before she could, she heard him say "Do you know what that punch in the face felt like last fall?"

"Obviously it was no slap in the face that I don't have feelings for you considering the situation we're in." she scoffed.

"It made me feel like the biggest loser!" he began, before being interrupted.

"Well, that almost makes the idea of being sued worth it then." Helga smirked.

"Not because I was thrown to the ground in front of half the school, but because I was rejected. Publically humiliated in more than one way, if you will. Surely you, as well as anyone else, know emotional pain can be just as excruciating as physical pain." he explained, while seeing her eyes widen.

Helga knew more about emotional pain than all her friends put together. Be it about love, family problems, social skills, or whatever else it could relate to. Her reputation was meant for hiding any emotional pain or sensitivity that may be caused by something as humiliating as rejection.

"Uhh I guess." she gulped.

"Well, then I have an idea..." Matt said. Helga's knees grew weaker as she watched his smile grow wider. She could just imagine what he was going to say.

"Let me come to the party tomorrow. I don't know if Amanda will want to or not. The cat's out of the bag now that we're not together, so it really doesn't matter." he began.

Rolling her eyes, she replied "Fine. You can come."

"And...I want to kiss you in front of everybody. Including Arnold." he said, still smiling.

Helga cocked her brow. Although she imagined the worst, she didn't understand how one kiss would be any better than financially suing them for everything they were worth (not that that was much).

"What good will that do you? You know I don't like you! Crimity! Do your eardrums need replacing?" she scowled.

"I want Arnold to know how I felt the day I was punched. Only it'll be his heart taking the hit, rather than his eye." he laughed.

Helga could feel her body trembling. She didn't know what to say. Here was the answer, the opportunity to get rid of Matt and enjoy the rest of their summer. Was it worth paying a price this steep? Taking a deep breath, she sighed "I have to go. Party's at the Sunset Arms Boarding House."

Meanwhile, Arnold was discussing his crisis call with Dr. Bliss.

"So, I finally received that call." Arnold began to explain, seeing her nod.

"How did it go?"

"Well, to be honest, I don't know how well I handled it." he sighed, seeing a confused look form on Dr. Bliss' face.

"What do you mean?"

"Although Gerard was too overwhelmed to notice, I could sense myself getting irritated with his irrational way of thinking. I don't think I'm doing too good a job with my training if I'm that easily irritated." Arnold admitted.

Smiling at him, Dr. Bliss explained "It's okay to get frustrated Arnold. This is still new to you. Even if it wasn't, not everyone gets through their job with nothing bothering them at some point."

While the two of them were discussing this, Helga finally made it to her office. Mark immediately stood up at the sight of her.

"Helga! Where were you?!"

"Sorry about that. I ran into one of the three muskateers." she sighed, trying to keep her cool.

"Who was it?" Mark asked, trying not to get her worked up.

Sighing deeply, Helga replied "Matt. Maybe it was wrong of me to do this, but I told him I had had it with being strung along. I just wanted him to either go ahead and sue us or say what it was he wanted so we could give it to him and get on with our lives!"

Nodding his head, Mark replied "What did he say?"

Looking away with her arms crossed, she muttered "He wants to kiss me in front of everyone at the party we're throwing tomorrow."

Mark had dealt with plenty of sexual harassment cases before, so this wasn't anything shocking to him.

"What exactly did you say to him?"

Turning back to face Mark, she replied "I just said I had to get to work. I figured I should ask Arnold's permission. I know how much he hates when I keep secrets from him."

Placing a hand on her shoulder, he said "That was very considerate of you. As long as you just invite him to the party, without giving him permission to kiss you, you'll have the right to sue him if he tries to do so." Mark began, seeing her eyes light with hope.

"However, that doesn't mean he can't still sue you for the assault if you decide to sue for harassment. Think carefully about whether or not you decide to invite him." Mark warned her.

"Yeah, I gotcha." she sighed.

Once the work day ended, both Arnold and Helga headed for the apartment, one more anxious than the other. Arnold was looking forward to shopping for the party with his wife. Helga was hesitant about how to explain the new situation with Matt to her husband.

She had been staring at the ground practically the whole walk home, she didn't watch where she was going. "THUMP!"

Before she could fall, someone caught her. Helga looked up and shouted a familiar phrase "Arnold! I mean, watch where you're going football head!"

"Seriously Helga? I know old habits die hard, but you were the one staring at the ground." he laughed, seeing a weak smile form on her face.

"Right, sorry about that." she sighed.

Taking her hand, he asked "Should we go change, and then get started on the shopping?"

"Uhh sure." she hesitated, wondering what the best way to reveal the information about Matt would be. Should she do it while they shopped, before bed, at dinner, or just blurt it out right then and there?

They made it into the apartment while all this was still going through her mind.

"Are you okay? You got quiet for a second?" Arnold asked, looking at her worriedly.

"Huh? Oh yeah, I was just thinking." she replied.

"About what?" he asked, heading into the bedroom with her.

 _Crimity! Him and his nosiness! Well, guess now's as good a time as any to tell him…_

"I ran into Matt before work." she said bluntly, while watching him keep a calm expression.

"What all happened?"

Changing into her jeans and t-shirt she sighed, "I won't repeat the five hours I spent trying to make him give me the quick solution to end this, which turned out to be something neither of us will enjoy."

Arnold nodded, preparing himself for the worst. "Okay."

Taking a seat on the bed, Helga explained "Matt said he won't sue us if he's invited to the party tomorrow and gets to kiss me in front of you."

Arnold's eyes widened at the sound of this. Not knowing what to say at first, he took a seat beside her, rubbing her hand with his. "Uhh what did you tell him?"

"I just said he could come to the party. I wanted to talk to you first about kissing me." she said, looking into his fearful eyes.

Hearing this brought a warm feeling to his heart. She was learning not to keep secrets from him. Not only that, but allowing him to help her in her time of need.

Arnold leaned in to kiss her softly. Brushing her lips, he whispered "I don't want him touching you."

Not being able to help but smile, she said "You're a few months too late on that bucko."

After taking a deep sigh, he leaned his forehead against hers. "I don't know what to do."

Rubbing his hand, she said "Mark said we could just invite him without actually giving him permission to kiss me. If he does, we would have the right to sue him for sexual harassment. That doesn't mean he won't still sue us for assault though."

After a few moments of thinking it through, Arnold said "I guess he can come. It's not like we won't run into him again at some point."

"Much like with your lame-o cousin." she scoffed.

Sighing at that, Arnold began to rub her hand back. "Yeah, I'm trying not to think about that. Let's just go to the store and forget about them."

Once they made it to the Corner Store, Arnold grabbed a cart (knowing Helga wasn't planning on it).

"As much kitchen hardware as your family has, I would think they'd have a few paper plates and cups hidden somewhere in that rusty old dump of there's." Helga scoffed.

"I don't think my family minds doing dishes every night." Arnold pointed out, watching his wife grab a handful of everything they knew they would need.

"Crimity! No one ever taught them how to live." she scowled.

"Well, we got the plates, napkins, silverware, I'll ask my parents to buy some drinks for the party."

"Good, because I'm not walking home with ten two liter bottles" she scoffed.

Walking to the register with their merchandise, Arnold said "Grandma could probably get some fireworks from the same guy she always got them from on Thanksgiving."

Helga cocked her brow as she asked "What the heck does she buy them on Thanksgiving for?"

Blushing at the statement, Arnold replied "Uhh remember that Thanksgiving in fourth grade when you and I saw each other at the docks?"

"Yeah…" Helga replied, wondering where he was going with this.

"Well, the reason I left home was because my grandma always gets Thanksgiving mixed up with the fourth of July. "

"Oh crimity! Your family's as eccentric as mine is depressing." she scoffed.

Wrapping his arm around her while they waited in line, he replied "That's how I know we were meant to be. We both needed each other that badly."

Although this made her blush terribly, she didn't want to lose the comforting feeling of being wrapped inside of her beloved.

Once they were finished at the store and made it home carrying bags full of disposable merchandise, Helga was ready to grab a snack from the fridge.

"Should I make you some dinner?" Arnold offered.

Grabbing some chips off the fridge, she replied "Nah, I'm fine with this."

Rolling his eyes, he followed her into the bedroom and said "That's not the type of diet you get to have when you're pregnant."

Widening her eyes with a mouth full of salt, she exclaimed "Uhh you're thinking five years into the future, and it's MY body. I can eat how I please."

Laying down beside her, he began to rub her stomach. "It won't just be your stomach when we have a baby in there."

"You mean when 'I' have a baby in here." she smirked.

The two laid there together, anxious for tomorrow to come and go. What was supposed to be an event to take their minds off the stressful summer turned into a night that could possibly be the most stressful event of the summer. They could only hope things would end in their favor.


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35: It's Showtime!

Friday morning finally came, and what had been expected to be a night filled with fun was now just one more thing to add to the married couples' list of stressful summer events.

Arnold had been tossing and turning all night, thinking about Matt's 'offer' to avoid suing them. After going through this in his mind, he woke up with a new problem.

When Arnold opened his eyes that morning, he faced Helga to see her sleeping peacefully. As he began to run his hand along the side of her face, with his fingers through her hair, he heard her begin to stir. She then opened her eyes to see him smiling weakly at her.

"Morning football head."

"Morning sweetie. How did you sleep?"

Yawning in his face to make her point, she replied "Eh, no different than usual. You?"

That was when they both heard the alarm go off, and Arnold quickly turned over to shut it off.

"Uhh I've been awake on and off the whole night. Just had some things on my mind." he admitted, while seeing her nod slightly at him.

The two then sat up to get dressed, not caring to be hostile with one another.

After getting dressed and making it to the kitchen, Helga turned from the fridge to see Arnold sitting at the table. There he was with his arms folded, staring face down at them.

"What's wrong football head? You know that's not where we keep the food." she smirked, as she sat down with her bowl of sugar chunk cereal.

"Well, when I woke up this morning I thought about the new people who would be coming to the party. You know Jason, Mark and Matt." he began, while Helga continued to eat.

"My family will probably wonder how we know them, and we haven't mentioned the case to them." Arnold sighed, scratching the back of his head.

Helga nearly choked on her cereal. True they had told his grandpa about punching Matt last year at school. Nothing had been said to them about him coming back to sue however.

The two of them sat there quietly a moment until Helga put her secret mind to good use. "Well, your family already knows about our internships. They've met Jason before. We could tell them I know Mark from work...which I do." she began before being interrupted.

"What about Matt? They're going to wonder what he's doing there." Arnold asked worriedly.

"Crimity football head, keep your pants on! We can say we apologized to him. If it was his idea to come, and to kiss me, he'll have to suck up to them anyways. We still won't give him actual permission to kiss me though." she replied, taking her bowl to the sink.

Arnold let out a deep sigh, knowing that was as good as they could do without actually coming clean about the case. Something told him things would end up badly however.

"I guess I'll call my grandpa then to make sure everything we need is over there for tonight."

"Sounds good. I'm leaving. See ya after work." she waved, while watching him grab his phone. He was too worried about how the night would end to consider that she had left without hugging or kissing him.

Ring...Ring...Ring…

"Hello?

Grandpa.

"Hey shortman!

"I invited some friends to the boarding house again to celebrate the fourth of July."

"Hehe...That wife of yours sure has you doing whatever she wants doesn't she?"

"Grandpa...anyway, I was wondering if there are any of Grandma's Thanksgiving fireworks still over there?"

"Oh heck yeah! You know how many of those things she keeps hidden in the basement. Not as many cats as she does for Friday the 13th though. I'll never understand her."

"Uhh thanks grandpa. We'll be over this evening."

"See ya shorman!"

Hanging up the phone, Arnold did feel a bit guilty for not asking permission earlier. He had just lived with his grandparents so long, the boarding house still felt like home. Everyone there meant so much to him. What was he going to do if they found out about the case? Even worse, if he lost the case...and Helga?!

After worrying to himself a moment, he realized Jason must be waiting outside for him. He raced downstairs to see Jason looking concerned yet again. "Are you okay Arnold? Did your crisis patient contact you again?"

"No, I was actually calling my grandpa about the party tonight. Just making sure they had fireworks for us to use." he said, not wanting to reveal everything he had been worried about that morning.

"I see. Thank you again for inviting Mark and I. I'm looking forward to meeting your friends." Jason said eagerly.

This made Arnold wonder what would happen when he met Matt. Helga had already talked to Mark about him however, so there was really nothing to be concerned about. He and Jason had never met, had they?"

Meanwhile, Helga was sitting in the office with Mark discussing the party. "So, if the worst should happen tonight, Jason and I will be there for you." Mark assure her, while she faced the floor. Helga hated feeling weak. The whole reason she took this job was to be in charge of things; to have power. Now here she was feeling threatened, all because she was trying to defend both her husband and herself.

"Crimity, why can't he just grow a pair and shove off?! He's recovered, he knows kissing me won't make me like him, and doing it in front of a large group of people is just going to make his chances of winning the sexual harassment charges terrible anyway?" she pointed out.

"True, but when you punched him, you also did it in front of a large group of people. Feeling you up also didn't keep you from getting married and carrying on with your love life." Mark said, while seeing her roll her eyes at his reasoning.

While this was being discussed, Arnold and Jason were speaking with Dr. Bliss about the progress they had made with their training that week.

"I'm very proud of you two. Donating is a generous thing to do and helping others 'on the spot' is not an easy task. Especially if they're overly anxious." she pointed out to them.

After thinking about his phone call, Arnold realized at some point, every one of his friends had gotten worked up and needed his help in grade school. No one kept calm all of the time.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." he replied, scratching his head.

While thinking about keeping calm under pressure, Helga had pretty much reached her the end of her patience with that.

After another long day of discussing the case at City Hall, Helga stood up and said "Well, whatever happens happens I guess. Don't be shocked if I push him off the building, then skip town."

Mark tried not to smile at her joke. "Just try to stay calm. Don't do anything to encourage him, or give him a reason to believe he has the right to do it."

Rolling her eyes once again, she said "Fine, I'll sit back and let the loser treat me how he pleases. See ya tonight."

"Perhaps I'm out of line saying this, but I've notice a lot these past few weeks how much your attitude reminds me of Communications Correspondence." Mark said, smiling at her.

Cocking her brow at him, she asked "What's that supposed to mean and what the heck is it?"

"It means you act the way you think, which you're obviously not afraid to considering how bold you are." Mark said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Helga couldn't help but blush at this, while thinking about how vulnerable she acted around Arnold at times now that he knew the truth. Her tough side was really more of an act to cover her true feelings about him.

"Uhh yeah, well see you tonight." she replied.

Heading home, she thought to herself _This is going to be a disaster!_

While Helga was heading home, Arnold was saying goodbye to Jason. "Well, I guess I'll see you tonight."

"I'm looking forward to it! Don't worry about anything. Mark and I will be there to help you." Jason assured him.

Arnold stood there a moment, while Jason began walking away. It felt weird to have someone other than Gerald assure him of that. Just then, his phone began to ring.

Ring...Ring...Ring…

"Hello?"

"Hey Arnold!"

"Oh hey Gerald."

"We still on for that party tonight?"

"You bet!"

"Good, because I need a break from all the drama you've been going through this summer! We never get to hang out anymore!"

"I know, I'm sorry Gerald. Helga and I are just going through tough times."

"Well, try to forget about all that stuff tonight."

"I will. Later Gerald."

"Later man."

Arnold hung up, knowing the party would be nothing but drama. Bye the time he made it home, Helga was already in the bedroom changing into something for the party.

"Hey football head, how was work?" she asked, seeing him enter the bedroom.

"Uhh not bad. How was your day?" he wondered, taking a seat on the bed.

"Eh, nothing exciting happened. Guess all that's being saved for tonight." she said wittingly.

As she turned to face him, they looked into each other's desperate eyes. Each one knew what the other had to be thinking. Neither one wanted to go through with this, but what choice did they have?

Without warning, Arnold pulled her down on top of him. Placing a hand behind her head to press it tightly against his own, he sucked her tongue as though he felt he could remove it from her. The idea of someone else touching it tore him up inside. Not to mention, having to watch them do it.

After needing a breath of air, he slowly removed his lips from hers. While he kept their noses together, with his hand behind her head, he whispered "You don't have to do this. We can just stay home."

Giving him a quick kiss back, she replied "Everyone's expecting us. It'll be okay."

Arnold didn't believe that last part, but got up with her anyway. The two of them then headed over to the boarding house.

They walked silently to the boarding house with their paper goods. Arnold held Helga's hand tightly with his free one, feeling the sweat forming on the back of his neck. It was like his wedding day all over again. Once they made it to the boarding house, Helga was prepared to step back. Arnold still had quite a bit on his mind however.

"WHOA! He exclaimed, trying to stay out of their way, while seeing Helga roll her eyes. "How sad is it that in the past year, I'M the one who's gotten used to that flock of furballs?!"

"I've just had a lot on my mind all summer. It hasn't exactly been easy for us." Arnold countered, pulling her in with him.

The two then headed for the kitchen to see the drinks and snacks his parents had gotten them for the party.

"Sheesh! You get treated like the golden child even when you're not around." Helga scoffed, placing a hand on her hip.

"Well, it's not like I'm their ONLY child or anything." he said wittingly.

"Oh don't start with me bucko!" she scowled, helping him take the food and drinks to the roof.

When they were about to leave the kitchen, they heard "Hey shortman, how's it going?!"

"Hey grandpa. Do you think you could listen for the door, while we get the roof set up?"

"Oh I suppose. If your grandma's up there, tell her we're not having watermelon again!" he said, taking a seat with his newspaper.

"Or any of those Memory Shakers!" Helga scowled, pointing a finger in his face.

"Hehe...boy that kid got you good!"" Phil laughed, not caring about her glare.

Arnold then grabbed what he noticed to be Helga's clenched fist and dragged her upstairs.

Making it to the roof, Arnold turned to hear his wife say "Crimity! That old loon doesn't care if anyone loses their marbles...I guess because he didn't have any to begin with!"

Arnold did his best to ignore her criticism. He knew this wasn't going to be an easy night for either of them. "It's okay Helga, we'll get through this." he promised, placing his hands on her shoulders from behind.

A moment of silence then took over, as she turned to look at him. Her lips began to quiver, while she could feel a tear forming in her eye. "I'm scared."

A heartbreaking look formed on Arnold's face. He rubbed her face with his hand, leaning closer as he whispered "Me too."

Their lips were about to meet when they heard "Hey Arnold! What's up man?"

They then turned to see Gerald and Phoebe entering the roof. "Uhh not much, just setting up for the party." he replied.

As he walked over to his best friend, Gerald asked "So tell me, what's been going on? I didn't hear from you yesterday?"

Rubbing his neck, Arnold replied "Well, the thing is, Helga ran into Matt."

Both Gerald and Phoebe's eyes widened. "Oh my! What happened?" Phoebe asked.

"Matt said he'd drop this lawsuit thing if he got to come to the party tonight and kiss me." Helga sighed, looking away from her best friend.

"Mm...mm...mmm! Man, that is messed up! So I guess you'll be taking this thing to the end?" Gerald asked.

Arnold and Helga looked at each other full of concern. Neither wanted Helga to give in. They would just be putting themselves in more trouble if they punched him again. All they could do was uninvite him to the party. He would surely sue them if they did however.

"We don't know Gerald." Arnold sighed.

"What do you mean? Pataki punched him for calling you short. Now she's just going to willingly let him kiss her if he tries? Not to mention in front of twenty people." Gerald pointed out.

Clenching her fists, she exclaimed "Put a sock in it Geraldo! I don't see your summer being spent planning how to keep yourself and your bank account out of the gates of hell!"

"Are you sure you want to do this Helga? You still have a witness if he sues you?" Phoebe pointed out, while Helga simply rolled her eyes.

"Pttss… Harold? Phoebe, would you rely on him to win a case for you?" she asked, watching her best friend frown.

It was then the other guests began to arrive.

"Hello Arnold, Helga. Thanks again for inviting us." Jason said, entering the roof with Mark.

"Hey guys, thanks for coming. Gerald, Phoebe, this is Jason, my coworker. He's also giving us cooking lessons."

"I still can't believe you're doing that man." Gerald said, not caring how it made Jason feel.

"Not all women enjoy it, so it's a useful skill for men to know." Jason pointed out, while Helga scoffed "Ya got that right!"

"This is Mark. He's helping us with our case against Matt." Arnold pointed out.

"I also work with Helga. She's very intelligent." Mark added, while Gerald lifted an eyebrow. "That's a new definition of intelligent."

If Gerald wasn't going to approve of Helga's marriage to Arnold, she didn't expect him to support her commitment to a high powered position. "Whatever Geraldo."

Moments later, all their former classmates began arriving and the party was beginning.

The group was hanging out, drinking sodas, talking about what college classes they had signed up for. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves except Arnold and Helga.

Helga stood there with a cup of soda in her hand she hadn't taken a sip of. Her mind was too focused on the idea of Matt walking in any second to remember she even had something in her hand.

"Everything's going to be okay. Just don't reciprocate his actions." Mark said, placing a hand on her shoulder. Feeling this nearly made her spill her drink, she was so tense. They then heard the door open, and her drink did spill.

The whole party went silent, not expecting to see this.

"What in the heck's he doin' here?" Stinking asked, leaning towards Sid.

"I don't know. I thought Arnold hated him?" Sid replied.

"Aww gee! More people to share the food with!" Harold shouted, seeing Rhonda roll her eyes at him.

"Harold, who cares what he eats? Just look at what he's wearing?!" Rhonda exclaimed.

The unexpected guest then approached Arnold calmly to say "Snort. Hey."

Gulping at the sight of his cousin, Arnold replied "Oh uhh hey Arnie. Have you talked to your parents recently?"

"Snort. Yeah." Arnie said, not in any hurry to get to the point.

Standing there with wide eyes and her drink half full, Helga thought to herself _Crimity! Why would they let him in here?!_

"So, what did they say?" Arnold asked, anxious for him to leave.

"Snort. I get to help with the accounting at the farm." Arnie said unenthusiastically.

The roof remained silent, while Helga slapped her face and thought to herself _What a bunch of idiots!_

After finding his voice, Arnold replied "That's uh great. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. When do you leave?"

 _It better be soon!_ Helga thought to herself, breathing heavily.

"Snort. I'm taking the bus back tomorrow." he replied, while Arnold stopped to think a moment. The whole reason he was still in town was because he missed the bus home after his first therapy appointment.

"Why don't I go to the bus stop with you tomorrow? I'll pick you up at the H.H.S" Arnold insisted.

"Snort. Okay."

"Go home and pack. I'll be there tomorrow morning." Arnold said, turning him around.

"Snort. Bye Helga." Arnie said, waving goodbye.

"Oh crimity!" She said, smacking her face.

After leaving the roof, talk amongst the group started back up. "I wreckin' he's about the saddest person I've ever seen." Stinky said, scratching his head.

"Tell me about it. Even sadder than Eugene." Sid replied.

"I'm ever so certain I just love when he visits. The things he collects are just oh so impressive!" Lila exclaimed, while Rhonda quickly shot her head at Lila.

"Impressive? He collects gum and lint?"

While talk about Arnold's cousin was being passed amongst the group, Arnold went to check on Helga. "Are you okay Helga?" he asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah, I guess that's one problem taken care of. Now if loser lips would just make his appearance we could get the night, and possibly this hellish summer over with." she sighed.

"Maybe he won't show up. I mean, it has been two hours already." Phoebe pointed out.

"I believe Arnold's last party lasted until 2 in the morning. Not to mention it is the fourth of July. Trust me, he's got plenty of time to show." Gerald assured them.

"Pttss...thanks for the vote of confidence hairboy!" Helga scoffed, while Arnold continued to hold her shoulder.

Once again the roof's discussion was interrupted by an entrance. Silence came abrupt while the guest approached the hosts of the party.

"I don't wreckin' I've seen him since our Senior year." Stinky said, keeping his eyes on the guest.

"I guess we should start finding new people to hang out with." Sid said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Uhh oh. I lost that sheet of paper Helga gave me!" Harold exclaimed.

While the group watched the guest make his way across the roof, he turned his attention to Helga.

"Hello Helga. How have you been?" Matt asked.

Cocking her brow, she replied "You mean since yesterday?"

Placing a hand on her shoulder, Matt replied "A lot can happen in a day...or as little as a second."

Arnold began to clench his fists. Before he could say anything, his thoughts were interrupted.

"Matt? Matt Zinger? Is that you?!"

Matt turned his attention away from Helga to look at his former classmate and friend... Jason.

After taking his hand off her, Matt decided to forget his threat for a moment, and go speak to his friend. He and Jason had known each other since grade school. They even had their own secret handshake.

When Jason was sent to live at the homeless shelter and Matt transferred to another school, the two of them no longer kept in touch.

"How have you been?" Jason asked anxiously, reaching out his fist for Matt.

"Well, last year wasn't too great. I got punched in the face. You heard about that though. That sad event was the whole reason we ended up no longer keeping in touch with each other." Matt said, hoping to guilt him into taking his side.

Arnold began to squeeze Helga tightly. Although Mark was the lawyer, he was still Jason's close friend. He could see this going both ways.

Seeing Matt turn to look at Helga, Jason lifted an eyebrow. "Wait, HE'S the one you punched?"

Helga stood there trembling in Arnold's arms while Arnold felt the need to step in. "She was defending herself! We told you what happened!"

Mark didn't want to take a side in this unless it became vital. Right now, it seemed to just be a harsh dispute.

"I was just showing her how much I cared for her." Matt said, stepping closer to Helga.

"Yeah well, I don't care even the slightest bit for you scumbag!" Helga scoffed.

Jason was beginning to lose respect for his friend. In his wildest dreams, he never would have expected this from him.

"You still have a way out of this. Remember our deal?" Matt reminded her, stepping as close as he could without touching her.

Arnold's mind was rushing a mile a minute. _If I interfere, he sues us. If I don't, I have to watch another man kiss my wife!_

Before he could make a decision, Matt grabbed Helga's shoulders. "This will only hurt a lot...Arnold."

Before Matt could touch her lips, he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Don't do it Matt!"

"Why do you care? She's not your wife?" he asked, turning to look at Jason.

"Because she's my friend and if you are too, you won't do this." Jason replied with a serious look on his face.

The party remained silent a moment. Matt looked at Arnold, thinking about the humiliation he and Helga had put him through. Then he looked back at Jason, thinking about all the good times they had shared together. All the times they went to each other to solve problems, talked about bad situations, told one another about girls they liked, or just had a good time together. Jason was a great a friend to Matt as Gerald was to Arnold. They would never hurt the other one intentionally.

Rolling his eyes, he let go of Helga. "Alright. If you punch me again though, I won't hesitate to sue you."

"Same goes for you touching me." she smirked, with her hands on her hips.

"Guess I'm going. Later Jason." Matt said, waving goodbye to his friend.

Jason stood there a moment, wondering if Matt had always been that way. Like he said to Arnold, not everyone has an easy time opening up to people, which Helga had already proven to be true about herself.

His thoughts were then interrupted, as he heard Arnold say "Thank you Jason. That was a really nice thing you did for us."

"No problem. I can't imagine what it would have felt like to watch someone do something like that to someone you love. I know how much you care about each other." Jason said, smiling at Arnold.

"Or what it would have felt like to me? I was the one who almost had his tongue down their throat...again!" Helga scowled.

Shivering at the thought, Arnold squeezed her tight and said "Looks like there's nothing left to worry about."

Their intimate moment was then interrupted when they heard "Except for the fireworks! I mean no offense man, but listening to everyone talk about hitting on Helga tonight was not exactly the fireworks show I had in mind for the fourth of July." Gerald said.

Arnold then widened his eyes as he replied "Oh right! Grandpa said there's still a bunch left in the basement."

While Arnold went to grab them, Helga turned to look at Jason. Trying not to blush, she said "Thanks for uhh doing that. I don't know if you still have feelings for me, but I'm sorry if I lead you on that night we spent together."

"No worries. I'm just glad you're okay. Therapy's taught me a lot about how people think and the kind of people who are best suited for them. You and Arnold go really well together." Jason said, smiling at her.

While Helga was sending him a weak smile, Arnold was running towards them with the fireworks.

"Okay, let's get this show started!" he exclaimed.

"It's about time!" Sid shouted.

"Whilikers! Look at all them fancy works!" Stinky said excitedly, widening his eyes.

"They better be first class. We've dealt with quite a bit of drama tonight." Rhonda said, turning her nose up at them.

Arnold then began to light them one by one. Helga stood there thinking about how lucky she was to always have everything work out so well for her. Whether or not it did, she knew she could always count on her husband to be there for her.

Once the show ended and the party was over, everyone went their separate ways.

"Thanks for coming everybody!" Arnold shouted.

"See ya Arnold!" Stinky waved.

"Yeah, great show!" Sid added.

"Aww but I'm still hungry!" Harold complained.

Helga rolled her eyes at his complaint, while standing there thinking to herself _Thank goodness I didn't need him to be my witness!_

When it was just Arnold and Helga standing with Mark and Jason, Arnold once again said "Thanks for all that you guys did for us. That year was pretty hectic. After we got into that fight, I proposed and the wedding planning we did the whole school year had us questioning our feelings for each other. I know now more than ever though that we're meant for each other."

Helga's eyes lowered while her heart began to flutter. Taking notice of this, Mark smiled at Arnold and said "I think you maybe right. We should get going. Thanks for inviting us."

Arnold stood on the roof a moment hugging his wife. Watching the other fireworks people were still shooting off in the neighborhood, he said "I can feel your girlhood trembling."

"Crimity! Will you forget about that stupid poem!" she scowled, turning to face him.

"I couldn't forget it anymore than I could forget you." he said, kissing her passionately.

After they had seen all the fireworks there were to see, the two walked home hand in hand happy to have their troubles behind them. School would be starting soon, and now that there was no one to cause any issues, they could actually enjoy their internships.


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36: You're A Pretty Special Person

Arnold and Helga awoke the next morning, happy for the first time that summer. They were married, had their own place, working in places they enjoyed, and no longer had to worry about any former acquaintances causing trouble for them.

Arnold opened his eyes to see Helga facing him, still sleeping soundly. He leaned in to give her what was meant to be a short, soft kiss. The moment his lips met hers however, he lost control and what was meant to be short and soft turned into long and lingering.

Helga let out a deep sigh, feeling what was going on. Without opening her eyes, she began to kiss him back. The two of them held each other happily, knowing how much easier things would be from there on out.

When their lips at last parted, Helga opened her eyes to see Arnold smiling at her.

"Morning sweetie. How'd you sleep?"

Resting her lips on his, she sighed "Good. You?"

Rather than replying, he wrapped his hand behind her head to pull her in for another warm kiss. It was so comforting knowing he no longer had to worry about losing her. Not in court, not to another man, not because something else in life meant more to her than he did. He held her in his arms, lickng the inside of her mouth, knowing it would always belong to him.

As he slowly took his lips off hers, he replied "Great. Why don't we see if Gerald and Phoebe want to meet us for breakfast?"

"Aren't you supposed to be taking helicopter head to the bus station?" she smirked.

"I don't think it leaves until noon, but maybe I should head over there anyway. I don't want him to wander off before he has a chance to get on it." Arnold sighed.

"He better get on it! This summer's been nothing but drama we've had to fix. We don't need him re-stirring the pot!" she scowled.

"Guess we better get up then." Arnold said, as he sat up from the bed. "I'm going to take a shower. You're welcome to join me."

Smiling at him, she said "Eh, why not? Can't have you hoggin' all the good shampoo."

"Whatever you say Helga."

The two of them then grabbed their towels and headed into the bathroom. While Helga was taking off her nightgown, Arnold was setting the water to their preferred temperature. Once they were both undressed, he turned to smile at her. Holding her tightly in his arms, he asked "Do you know why I'm looking forward to this shower?"

"Because Matt had you sweating harder than you were at our wedding rehearsal?" she smirked.

Rolling his eyes at her remark, he said softly "Because it will be our first one this summer without any drama fogging our minds. The only mist will be from the hot water I'm about to share with you."

Doing all she could not to swoon in front of him, she said "Let me know when you're ready for those poetry lessons."

After checking the water, they stepped in together. While Helga reached for the shampoo, she felt a hand placed on top of hers. "Can I wash it for you?" Arnold asked, watching the water flow down her shiny blonde hair.

Batting her lashes with a weak smile, she handed over the bottle. While watching him pour the silky substance into his hands, she thought back to their first shower in the boarding house together.

He began running his soapy fingers through her hair, as he listened to her say "Hey Arnold."

"Yes?" he asked, paying more attention to her hair, than her face.

"Do you remember the first shower we took together?"

"You mean at the hotel? Yeah, that was pretty heated." he winked, scrubbing the shampoo out of her hair.

"No, I meant the one at the boarding house." she replied, realizing that had technically been their second shower together.

"How could I forget? We were worried our slip and slide incident in there was a real 'slip up.'" he said, rubbing her stomach with the soap.

Seeing her blush, he winked "If it happens again, it won't be a slip up."

"I just remembered sitting down during that shower. I can't remember why I did it though?" she wondered.

While handing her the shampoo for his hair, he explained "You seemed to think I wouldn't be tall enough to reach your hair. I guess my masculine side was a bit much for your sensitive side that night."

Her cheeks turned pink, listening to him explain the reasoning behind this. "Oh yeah...I guess I was still having a hard time believing my girlhood fantasies had made it that far with you."

Taking her hands in his, he pulled her under the water to kiss her. The shampoo from his hair ran along the sides of their faces as they stood their enjoying the feel of each other's lips beneath the warm water.

"It wasn't just 'your' dreams that were coming true." he said, softly releasing their lips, while placing a hand against her face.

Once the hot water had reached its limits, the two of them got out to get dressed.

Already knowing the answer, Arnold turned to ask "Would you like to go with me to drop off Arnie at the bus station?"

Helga cocked her brow at his dense question. "Would you like me to ask Mark to be our divorce lawyer?"

"It was worth a shot." Arnold shrugged his shoulders, heading into the kitchen.

While Helga followed him in there, she listened to him say "Speaking of Mark, maybe instead of asking Phoebe and Gerald to hang out, we should take Mark and Jason out to eat. Once again to thank them for helping us."

"Crimity! Do you work for Hallmark or something? You and I both said it like ten times last night. Not to mention we've been thanking them all summer for their help. Sheesh!" Helga exclaimed, as she sat down with her cereal.

"I just think it would be a nice thing to do. I could see how close Jason was with Matt when they did their handshake." Arnold began before being interrupted.

"Uh huh. That I suppose brought tears to your heart's eyes when comparing it to yours and Geraldo's wimpy preschool thumbs up?" she scoffed.

"The point is, that was a really nice thing Jason did. Matt could have stopped speaking to him because of it." Arnold pointed out.

"And that would have been worse than me going to jail?" Helga scoffed.

Rolling his eyes, Arnold sighed "Helga, let's just invite them out to eat. They're our friends now anyway aren't they?"

"Alright fine Mr. Do Gooder. Sheesh!" she scowled, taking her bowl to the sink.

Knowing she was not a morning person, Arnold got up to hug her. "I'll call them while I'm with Arnie. Then we can decide where to eat tonight."

"Yeah, yeah. Just make sure that creep gets on the bus this time!" she scowled, feeling him remove his arms from her.

"Whatever you say Helga."

About an hour later, Arnold was sitting at the homeless shelter talking to Arnie. Watching him clean out the lint traps in the laundry room, he thought to himself _how does he live like this?_

"So Arnie, you must be excited about your new job, huh?" Arnold asked, trying to make conversation.

Arnie took his head out of the dryer to face his cousin. "Snort. I'm supposed to start my training Monday. Snort. It's called accounting for dummies. Snort. I hope there's gum."

Arnold rolled his eyes at the thought of this. He knew Arnie was smarter than people gave him credit for. He just wasn't a people person. Hopefully that bad quality of his wouldn't mess things up for him this time.

"I see. I'll be right back. I have to make a few phone calls." Arnold said, careful not to go too far from his cousin.

"Snort. Okay."

Ring...Ring...Ring…

"Hello?"

"Hey Jason."

"Hey Arnold! How are you?"

"Great. Helga and I wanted to know if you and Mark would like to go out for dinner tonight? As a way to thank you again for all your help this summer."

"Sure. Where would you like to eat?"

"Uhh we hadn't discussed that yet. If you and Mark want to pick a place, you can call me back and we'll meet there tonight."

"Sounds good."

"See you tonight."

"Bye."

Arnold then returned to the laundry room to see Arnie still cleaning the lint traps. "Hey Arnie. We better get going so you don't miss your bus."

"Snort. Okay. Just let me bring my lint." Arnie insisted, not caring about the irritation in his cousin's eyes.

Once Arnie had all of his 'necessities' gathered, Arnold raced him to the bus station. Standing beside him at the front of the bus, Arnold said "Well, it was nice seeing you Arnie. Congratulations on your new job. I know it's something you'll enjoy."

At first Arnold was just trying to rush him along. Then he realized how happy he really was for his cousin.

"Snort. Thanks. Snort. Say hi to Helga for me." Arnie replied, while stepping onto the bus.

"Uhh right. Anyway, take care." Arnold said, waving goodbye to his cousin.

Once Arnie was on and the bus drove away, Arnold let out a deep sigh of relief. There really was nothing left to worry about. Now he could go home and start planning dinner with his wife and their two new friends who had been so helpful to them that summer.

When Arnold was turning the corner of the street to the apartment, he bumped heads with somebody "Ouch! Sheesh Arnoldo! Watch it!" his wife scowled.

Helping her off the ground, he replied "Sorry Helga. Where were you heading?"

"Uhhh...uhhh…" Helga stood there frozen a moment, until her old habits once again got the best of her "None of your beezewax Arnolodo!"

Arnold raised a curious eyebrow at her, with nothing better to do than reply "Well okay then. Just make sure to be back in time for dinner."

"Yeah, yeah! Sheesh, you act like a seven year old who's getting pizza for his birthday." Helga scoffed, walking in the opposite direction.

"Whatever you say Helga."

About two hours later, Helga returned to find Arnold sitting in the living room watching tv. After setting her things down, she went to take a seat beside him on the couch. Arnold jump, startled by her appearance. "You're home!"

"Who can't hear now?" she smirked.

"So, where did you go?" he asked, wrapping his arm around her.

Helga couldn't help but blush. She didn't want to ruin her surprise for him, but didn't want him to think she was still having a problem being less secretive.

"It's a surprise." she smiled, while rubbing her neck.

While giving her his half lidded gaze with dreamy emerald eyes she could never resist, he held a hand to her face and said softly "I'm sure I'll love it."

The two of them then began to share what started as a soft and sweet kiss. When Arnold pulled her head in to put more pressure into it, he heard her gasp. "Ow! Crimity!"

"Are you Okay?" he wondered, feeling guilty about what had happened on the street.

Helga held a hand up to her head, as she replied "I'm fine. My head just hurts."

Arnold then walked her to the bedroom. "Let's lay down for a little while before dinner. It won't hurt to relax."

The happy couple fell asleep together with smiles on their faces. Awhile later, Arnold awoke to the sound of his phone ringing.

Ring...Ring...Ring

"Hello?"

"Hey Arnold, it's Jason."

"Hey, what's up?"

"Mark and I were wondering what time you wanted to go out? It's about 6."

"Uhh I guess we could meet there now if you guys are ready. Did you guys pick a piace?"

"We were thinking Antonio's Pizza."

"Sounds great!"

"Okay. We'll be right there."

After hanging up the phone, Arnold rubbed his eyes and glanced over at Helga. _Maybe I should have given her another hour to sleep._

It was too late to change things however, so he began his usual shaking routine with her. Once she finally opened her eyes, he wasted no time in saying "We have to meet Jason and Mark for dinner."

"Hello to you too football head." she sighed wittingly.

Reaching out his hand for her, he watched her sigh and stretch before getting off the bed.

"Well, tonight's there big thank you dinner. Do we need to get them some fancy Hallmark card to go along with it?" Helga smirked, as she reached for her shoes.

Rolling his eyes at her, he replied "No, but we could at least pay for everything. They did a lot for us this summer." Arnold insisted.

"Fine Mr. Goody Two Shoes. Ya ready?" Helga scoffed.

Arnold walked over to her smiling, wrapping his arms around her. Pulling her in for a kiss, placing his hand lightly behind her head. He couldn't remember the last time he had been so excited about dinner. Well, perhaps their wedding reception dinner.

"More than ready." he said, softly pulling away from her.

The two of them then exited the apartment, and walked over to Antonio's pizza.

There they saw Mark and Jason waiting, having already pulled up in the car.

"I'm sorry guys. We should have offered to give you a ride. We weren't even thinking." Mark said, holding the keys in his hand.

Arnold smiled as he looked over at Helga. "That's okay. Helga and I walk everywhere together. It's just more time we get to spend with each other."

Hearing these word made her heart flutter, even if she could feel her cheeks turning red.

"Well, are you guys ready to eat? This was a great idea!" Jason said excitedly.

The four of them then walked inside to see it wasn't as crowded as Arnold and Helga had expected it to be on a weekend night.

"Where do you think everyone is?" Arnold asked.

"Probably getting lame video game lessons from Geraldo at the arcade." Helga scoffed.

"Whatever you say Helga" Arnold said, as he walked over to the hostess.

"Hi, we have four."

"Right this way!" she said, while grabbing them four menus.

The group then sat down at a booth after listening to her say "Your waitress will be right with you!"

Arnold wasn't quite sure where to start with the conversation. The only reason they were there was to thank them for the summer. He knew Helga wasn't going to say it no matter how grateful she was.

"So, I'm sorry the party didn't go so smoothly last night." Arnold said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Ya really think so, Arnoldo?" Helgo scoffed, pushing her menu aside.

Suddenly the waitress walked up. "Hi, what can I get you all to drink?"

"We'll just have four yahoo sodas." Arnold said, seeing her write down the order. "Be right back!"

Mark began to smile as he replied "Don't worry about it. It's not like we didn't all plan on Matt being there."

"Well, at least not THAT Matt." Helga scoffed, looking in Jason's direction.

A moment of silence took over until he said sadly "I'm sure it was just an empty threat he made against the two of you. At least, that's what I thought until I saw him about to kiss you Helga."

Helga began to blush as she listened to him continue "I never expected him to be that type of person. Time has a way of changing people I suppose. I've learned from psychology how secretive people can be, and things aren't always as they seem."

Helga lowered her head as she took in this information; making the comparison between Matt and herself. Arnold looked over, knowing what she must be thinking. He wrapped his arm around her and added "Like you said, people can change...and it can be for the best."

While Helga looked up to smile at him, the waitress came over. "Do you all know what you want to eat?"

"It's too bad Geraldo isn't here for another contest." Helga smirked.

"Not now Helga. We'll just get one of your supreme pizzas for the table." Arnold suggested.

After the waitress walked away, Jason had to ask "Contest? What was that about?"

"Helga thought it would be funny to take advantage of Gerald's nervousness when he was running for class president. He was eating more than he should have been, so she challenged him to eat an entire pizza. Whoever finished their's first had to buy lunch for our friends at school for a week." Arnold explained.

Mark couldn't help but laugh at this as he replied "I don't see you having any problems running things in the office."

"Ya got that right!" Helga scoffed.

"So who won?" Jason asked, not caring about Mark's comment.

"Who do you think?" Helga smirked.

Arnold couldn't help but roll his eyes as he replied "You never would have won if I hadn't help you."

"Hey! Geraldo had a fifteen minute head start! That was more than fair!" she scowled.

Jason looked over at Mark to ask "What do you think? Is that legitimate?"

Rather than choosing a side, Mark asked "Why did you let him get such a huge start?"

Helga began to blush as Arnold scratched his head. The two of them wondered if it had been such a good idea to bring up the topic.

"We kind of ran into Matt here that night. He asked Helga out when he saw us here. Then she left the table for a while to get away from him." Arnold explained, leaving out the drama that took place between him and Helga that night.

"I see. Then yes, I suppose that's fair. Did Gerald follow through on buying you lunch?" Mark asked.

"Pttss...of course not." Helga scoffed.

Rolling his eyes once again, Arnold replied "I wasn't going to make him buy lunch for everybody, so I bought it for Helga and I."

"That was sweet of you. I can see how much you two care about one another." Jason said, watching Arnold turn to face Helga.

"Yeah, whether or not we realized it when we were younger, we've been doing stuff to help each other out our entire lives." Arnold said, rubbing her hand.

Helga didn't want to ruin the moment, so she kept these next words to herself. _You mean, whether or not YOU realized it!_ Knowing she had loved him from the moment she had first laid eyes on him.

Once their pizza arrived, the two of them wasted no time digging in...at least not Helga. "Careful. Don't give yourself another headache. Or another reason for me to wipe your face. Or another pizza contest story to talk about. Or…" Arnold said, until being interrupted "Oh zip it Arnoldo!"

"Did you have a headache earlier?" Jason asked.

Setting aside her pizza, Helga pointed in Arnold's direction. "Football head here was nice enough to slide into me when I was on my way out earlier today."

Hearing this made Mark ask "So, did Arnold ever tell you if he has a nickname for you Helga?"

The two of them began to blush. Helga just stared at Arnold, waiting for an answer. All he could do was rub the back of his neck and say to them "I'm uhh working on it."

"Pttss...oh that was convincing." Helga scoffed.

Once the group finished their food, the check came and Arnold quickly reached for it.

"You don't have to do that Arnold. Especially not after that nice party you through for everyone." Mark insisted.

 _Pttss...ya real nice!_ Helga thought to herself, leaning back with her arms crossed.

"This is our way of thanking you guys for everything you did for us this summer; helping with the case, teaching us to cook, teaching us about our new jobs. It meant a lot to us." Arnold insisted.

"We were happy to do it." Jason replied.

After they left the restaurant, Arnold and Helga said their goodbyes to Mark and Jason. "Are you sure you don't need a lift?" Mark asked.

Arnold looked over at Helga, waiting for a response. When he didn't get one, he said "That's okay. We're happy to walk together."

Helga smiled at him, knowing how sincere he was about it.

"Well okay, we'll see you Monday." Jason waved, as he and Mark drove off.

Arnold stood there with Helga a moment, squeezing her hand.

"You alright there football head?" she asked.

"I'm fine. I'm just happy right now. Everything worked out so well." he said, as he turned around to give her a long lingering kiss. He began running his fingers through her hair, smacking their lips together softly until the two of them were interrupted by wheezing.

They simultaneously opened their eyes to turn around and see a familiar face walking up to them.

"Brainy?!" they called out together, wondering what he could be approaching them for.

Helga's eyes widened as he stepped closer, ready to pull out old betsy. Arnold's eyes widened even further as he saw that, thinking to himself _NOT ANOTHER LAWSUIT!_

Before she could raise her fist, Brainy opened his hands to make her eyes widen even further. There he stood with her old engagement ring in his hand. Helga's heart skipped a beat, as her knees began to weaken. She quickly snactched it from him, holding it close to her heart!

As she took the new one off to replace with the old one, she looked back over to see Brainy puckering his lips. Helga then cocked her brow, as she replied "Sorry Brainy. It was a one time thing."

"Wheeze. Wheeze. Bye Helga." he said, walking away.

Arnold lifted an eyebrow in confusion, while watching his wife's eyes glow at the sight of the ring.

"You kissed Brainy?"

"Yeah! You got a problem with that?!" she scoffed, with her hands on her hips.

Scratching his head in confusion, he replied "Uhh I guess not? Although I would think you would. When did that happen?"

Her cheeks began to turn red as she gulped "Uhh back in San Lorenzo."

"San Lorenzo? I don't remember that happening?" Arnold said, thinking back to the trip.

"Crimity! Must you butt into everyone's business!" she scowled.

"If it's yours, than yes." he smiled, picking up her hand.

"Fine! When that stupid La Sombra locked us up, I sat there on the other side of the cave listening to you mourn over your parents. After my passionate side got the best of me, I reached for my locket, I had thrown in the river after you so sweetly rejected my love…" she began, seeing him rub his neck.

"When I saw it was no longer in my shirt, Brainy came over holding it. He must have gone into the river to get it. How he caught up to us is beyond me! Pttss...how he follows me, always knowing where I am is beyond me!" she scoffed.

Arnold then wrapped his arms around her, finishing what Brainy had interrupted. Helga stood there thinking to herself _I can't believe the chaos I caused over the ring. It's great to have it back, but it can't compare to the love I feel just by having Arnold, my beloved's arms wrapped around me!_

"Are you ready to go home?" he asked, placing a hand on her face.

"Eh, why not?" she asked, shrugging her shoulders.

The two walked home hand in hand, while Arnold looked down at the ring. "A lot of guys went after you this summer. It makes me feel pretty special knowing none of them made you lose interest in me."

"Yeah, well. You're a pretty special person football head." Helga blushed.


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37: You Don't Need One

The next morning the happy couple awoke facing one another. Arnold with his arms wrapped around his sweet wife, gently stroking her hair. "Morning sweetie. How'd you sleep?"

"Not bad." she replied, with her nose against his.

"Want me to make you some breakfast?" he asked, squeezing her tight.

Before she could respond, Arnold heard his phone ring.

The last thing he wanted to do was let go of his wife. Feeling he should answer it however, he turned around to pick it up.

"Hello?"

"Hey sweetie, how are you?

"Pretty good."

"Would you and Helga like to join us for breakfast?"

"Sure. We'll be right there."

After hanging up the phone, Arnold turned to his wife and said "My mom invited us over for breakfast."

"Sounds good to me." she said, propping herself up on her elbows.

After the two of them were dressed and headed that way, Arnold said to Helga "I'm glad you'll be getting a good breakfast. You deserve one after everything we went through this summer."

"Eh, it was no big deal now that I think about it. Like Mark said, it was all good practice for my career." she smirked.

Giving her a weak smile, he replied "Whatever you say Helga."

Once the two made it to the boarding house, Arnold walked into the dining room while he noticed Helga heading for the kitchen. "Where are you going?"

"I believe they call it the kitchen, hairboy." she scoffed.

Rolling his eyes, he replied "I know what the room you're headed for is, I just don't know why you're going in there."

"None of your business Arnoldo!" she scowled.

After shrugging his shoulders, Arnold took a seat with his grandpa and father.

"Hey shortman! Still haven't learned to take orders from her have you?" Phil couldn't help but ask.

"Grandpa…" Arnold sighed.

"Oh lighten up shortman. So, how was your party?" Phil asked, before Miles butted in.

"Yeah, I think I saw some new people walking in."

Arnold began to rub his neck, realizing he never told his parents about the lawsuit. "Oh, those were just people from school and work."

"Speaking of work, how has that been going for you?" Miles asked, while seeing Stella, Pookey, and Helga walk in with the pancakes.

"Works been okay. I've met some interesting patients." Arnold admitted, while Helga couldn't help but scoff "Pttss..tell me about it."

"How about you dear? How has work been for you?" Stella asked, while turning her head towards Helga.

"Oh, umm it's been okay." she replied, followed by a moment of silence.

After everyone had taken a few bites of their breakfast, Miles decided to break it by asking "So, what were the names of those new friends of yours last night?"

Helga dropped her fork while Arnold could feel sweat forming on his face. Although there was no longer anything to worry about, he didn't like the idea of revealing the information about everything they had gone through that summer. Both he and Helga knew he couldn't lie however.

"Oh, umm Mark, Jason, and uhh Matt." he mumbled.

Phil's eyes widened as he replied "Matt? You mean the kid your girl over there punched for you last year?!"

Arnold's parents then turned to look at him, while Helga lowered in her seat.

"Uhh yeah, that's him." he gulped.

"Is he okay now?" Stella asked worriedly.

"Pttss...a little too okay." Helga scoffed, no longer caring about being judged.

"What do you mean?" Miles couldn't help but ask.

"You remember we told you about him being punched last year?" Arnold began as his parents nodded.

"By your wife/bodyguard!" Phil couldn't help but interrupt.

"Grandpa...Well, after that happened, he was transferred to another school. It wasn't until the beginning of this summer though that Gerald told Helga and I he wanted to get even with us. He still had the right to sue us for a few months, so we were working with our new friends to prepare for the worst." Arnold explained.

"Like that creepy cousin of yours returning? I saw the freak walk in last night!" Phil shivered.

"Uhh right. Well, Matt turned out to be an old friend of Jason's. Luckily, Jason was able to convince Matt to leave us alone." Arnold explained, while Helga sat there praying his parents wouldn't be too judgemental.

"Hmm well I guess the important thing is you worked things out and everyone is willing to put this behind them." Miles concluded.

Arnold and Helga smiled at one another until Stella added "Make sure not to try anything like that again though."

"We won't mom." Arnold said.

After everyone had finished their breakfast, Arnold pushed his plate aside and said, thanks for the pancakes mom, they were great!"

"Don't thank me, thank Helga! She made them." Stella insisted, while Arnold turned to look at his blushing wife.

"Really? Is that what you came over here for yesterday?" he asked, putting two and two together.

"Well doi!" she scowled, looking down at her plate.

"Hehe...never a dull moment with you two." Phil chuckled.

Rolling his eyes at his grandpa's remark, Arnold gave Helga a soft kiss. "Thanks sweetie."

Helga didn't like the attention drawn to her in front of everyone, but she was willing to make an exception. "Don't mention it football head."

"I think I'll just start calling you that since you don't mind it short man...oops I mean football head." Phil laughed.

"Grandpa…" Arnold sighed.

"Guess we never did think of something for me." Helga sighed, shrugging her shoulders.

"I like just calling you sweetie." he smiled, rubbing her hand.

"Why is that?" she asked, cocking her brow.

"Because you're the sweetest person I know." he said, kissing her once again.

"That's a new definition of the word, but I'm behind the times with the way you kids do things now a days." Phil replied.

 **THE END**

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